WATERFALL 


KELE^: 

The  Surf-Rider 

A  Romance  of  Pagan  Hawaii 


By 

Alex.  Stevenson  Twombly 

Author  of  "Hawaii  and  its  People," 

"Masterpieces  of  Michael  Angela  and  Mi  I  ton  t" 

Etc.,  Etc. 


NEW  TORK 

Fora's •,  Howard,  Sf  Hulbert 
IQOO 


Copyright  in  1900 
BY  ALEXANDER  S.  TWOMBLY. 


To  the 

HA  WAIIAN  FRIENDS 
who  welcomed  the  author  to  their  homes 

in  1894, 

and  to  all  the  SCHOLARS,  native  and  foreign, 
whose  researches  among  the  Traditions  and  Folk-lore 
of  the  Islanders  have  made  it  possible  to  write 
this  story  of  their  ancient  manners  and  cus- 
toms, this  work  is  gratefully  inscribed. 


2043292 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTERS.  PAGES. 

I.  Pu'  ALOHA,  THE  FLOWER  OF  LOVE.  .        i 

II.  KELEA,  THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUI,  .      14 

III.  NUMUKU,  A  CHIEF  OF  OAHU,    .       .      33 

IV.  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS,    .      42 
V.    SAVAGE  CHIVALRY 58 

VI.  KELEA  IN  THE  VALE  OF  IAO,     .       .      68 

VII.  A  MIDNIGHT  ASSAULT,      ...      76 

VIII.    PAAO  THE  TRAITOR 85 

IX.  HOOKAMA  OFF  HlS  GUARD,           .           .        90 

X.  A  HAWAIIAN  MAIDEN'S  REVENGE,    .      97 

XL  A  HAWAIIAN  WOOING,       .        .        .108 

XII.  A  VISION  OF  KELEA'S  ANCESTRESS,   .    119 

XIII.  A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED,        .        .130 

XIV.  HOOKAMA,  PRISONER  AT  HAWAII,      .    145 

XV.  A  DUEL  WITH  SPEARS,       .        .        .156 

XVI.  MENEHUNE,  THE  DWARF-GIANT,       .    164 
XVII.  AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY,      .       .       .176 

XVIII.  "FEATHER-MANTLE,"             ...      190 

XIX.  PELE,  FIRE  GODDESS  OF  KILAUEA,     .    201 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTERS.  PAGES. 

XX.    Lou,  GUIDE  TO  THE  VOLCANO,          .  207 
XXI.    AN  OFFERING  TO  PELE,       .       .       .217 

XXII.    A  CHALLENGE  TO  PELE,      .       .       .  227 
XXIII.    KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO 

OAHU, 240 

XXIV.    THE  SONG  BIRD  UNDER  A  CALABASH,  255 

XXV.     A  CRISIS 267 

XXVI.     THE  HOUSE  ON  THE    CLIFF,     .        .  274 

XXVII.    THE  CONSPIRATORS'  CAVE,         .       .  286 

XXVIII.    A  SON  OF  A  GOD,         .        .        .        .296 

XXIX.    A  DISCONSOLATE  LOVER,    .        .        .  306 

XXX.    AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING,       .        .  316 

XXXI.    BETROTHED, 326 

XXXII.      HOOKAMA  AND    PAAO  SETTLE   A 

QUESTION, 334 

XXXIII.  AN  APPARITION 345 

XXXIV.  HOOKAMA  DISCOVERS  HIS 

ANCESTORS, 361 

XXXV.  SURF-RIDING  AT  ITS  CULMINATING  . 

POINT 374 

XXXVI.  ALOHA  I 389 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


1.  WATERFALL — HAWAII         .        .       .  Frontispiece 

PAGE 

2.  HAWAIIAN  GRASS  HOUSE     .        .       .       .  15 

3.  THE  PINNACLE — IAO  VALLEY     ...  74 

4.  HAWAIIAN  WOMEN  BATHING      ...  96 

5.  SURF-SCENE 176 

6.  COCOA-NUT  ISLAND 202 

7.  A  LAVA  CASCADE 220 

8.  THE  LAKE  OF  FIRE,  COLLAPSED  .        .       .  238 

9.  "ISLANDS    LIFT   THEIR  FRONDED  PALMS 

IN  AIR  " 301 

10.  POOL  OF  KAPENA 370 


KELEA: 


THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUI. 


CHAPTER  I. 
PU'  ALOHA,  THE  FLOWER  OF  LOVE. 

THE  name  Pu  Aloha,  "Flower  of  Love," 
brings  to  us  the  vision  of  a  beautiful  girl,  who, 
before  the  white  man  came,  or  the  Hawaiian 
islanders  flung  their  idols  to  the  flames,  became 
the  idol  of  Hookama,  the  chief  bird-catcher 
of  Oahu. 

The  maiden,  in  all  the  unveiled  charms  of 
sixteen  summers,  stood  looking  seaward,  her 
hand  to  her  eyes,  as  if  watching  for  signs  on 
the  sea  toward  the  south.  Although  she 
lived  in  the  family  of  Numuku,  one  of  the 
high  chiefs  of  Oahu,  she  was  not  his  daughter, 
but  a  part  of  the  spoils  of  one  of  his  forays 
into  a  neighboring  island. 

Hardly  able  to  walk  when  brought  to  the 
chief's  household,  she  was  a  pretty  child,  with 
something  in  her  blood  unlike  other  Hawaiian 
infants — a  strain  perhaps  of  a  forgotten  foreign 


KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


ancestry.  Numuku  was  attracted  by  her  and 
intended  to  rear  her  for  a  wife,  when  she 
should  become  of  marriageable  age. 

She  was  brought  up  in  the  chief's  enclosure, 
which  contained  his  large  grass  house  and  the 
smaller  houses  of  his  women  and  servants. 
These  habitations  stood  on  an  eminence  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  what  is  now  the  harbor 
of  Honolulu.  A  picturesque  ravine  bounded 
the  enclosure  on  the  south,  and  even  to-day 
defies  the  transforming  hand  of  civilization, 
the  one  spot  near  the  modern  city  that  has 
marks  of  its  primitive  beauty  and  simplicity. 

Hedges  of  prickly  pear  in  blossom  still  line 
the  zig-zag  path  from  the  plateau  above.  A 
short  turn  leads  under  a  mass  of  rock,  Titan- 
piled,  dark  in  the  shadows  and  covered  with 
trailing  vines.  It  is  the  sweetest  dell  in  all 
the  region.  Wild  roses  dispute  possession  of 
the  soil  with  the  brilliant  lantana.  Broad 
leaves  wave  over  bunches  of  ripe  bananas. 
Two  grass  houses,  gray  with  age,  stand  on 
either  side  of  a  stream  that  rushes  noisily  over 
the  stones.  A  solitary  palm,  rooted  in  the 
rocks,  sentinels  a  pool  a  little  higher  up  the 
stream  ;  it  is  the  last  remnant  of  a  grove 
which  hung  over  sparkling  Kapena,  a  bathing 
place  and  reservoir  of  prolific  springs  on  the 
heights. 


PU '  ALOHA,  THE  FLOWER  OF  LOVE.  3 

It  is  a  place  for  dreams — dreams  of  the  past, 
with  fascinating  flashes  of  bright  color,  mys- 
terious valleys  and  beautiful  traditions. 
Clouds  overhang  the  hilltops  or  send  atomi- 
zing showers  to  cool  the  vales.  All  Hawaiian 
myths  and  legends  are  whispered  to  the 
dreamer  in  this  spot,  secure  from  intrusion 
amid  the  hum  of  insects  and  the  sweet  odors 
of  a  semi-tropical  afternoon. 

A  little  more  than  a  century  ago,  Numuku's 
possessions  included  this  enchanting  ravine 
and  extended  to  the  mountain  top  from  the 
coast  below.  From  the  eminence  on  which  his 
spacious,  thatched  house  was  placed,  the  eye, 
overlooking  valley  and  plain,  caught  glimpses 
of  the  blue  sea  to  the  horizon,  while  near  the 
shore  a  fringe  of  white  foam,  breaking  over  the 
reef,  bounded  his  domain. 

Within  this  range,  he  was  almost  absolute 
master.  The  life  and  death  of  his  dependants 
were  in  his  hands.  He  owed  a  sort  of  feudal 
allegiance  to  the  king  of  Oahu,  but  that  was 
all.  Beyond  the  reef  the  open  sea  was  common 
ground.  Kuula,  the  fisherman's  god,  was 
above  ail  chiefs  and  the  king  himself,  in  the 
wide  ocean. 

Dazzling  indeed  was  Pu'  Aloha  in  the  sun- 
light, for  the  shining  orb  had  often  kissed  her 
half-clad  beauty,  giving  it  a  rosy  hue.  A  child 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


of  nature,  always  in  the  open  air,  full  of  the 
exuberance  of  health,  graceful  in  pose  and 
movement,  unconscious  of  her  own  loveliness 
and  filled  with  the  joy  of  all  things  about  her, 
she  had  grown  like  the  flowers.  Not  a  care 
or  a  cloud  had  ever  cast  a  shadow  until  this 
hour  over  the  brightness  of  her  life. 

She  was  brought  up  with  an  adopted  son  of 
Numuku,  the  boy  Hookama,  six  years  her 
senior,  who  was  from  her  infancy  her  only 
playmate.  Together  they  enjoyed  sliding 
down  the  sides  of  the  ravine,  his  arms  around 
her  on  the  same  sledge  while  his  foot  guided 
their  course.  Together  they  wove  garlands 
of  the  dainty  lehua,  growing  profusely  in  the 
valley.  Like  a  foster-brother  Hookama  carved 
charms  of  bone  for  the  maiden's  neck  and 
made  bracelets  and  anklets  of  glittering  shells 
for  her  limbs.  Gradually  her  playfellow  be- 
came a  large  part  of  her  life ;  the  mystery  of 
young  womanhood,  breaking  into  her  conscious- 
ness, revealed  the  beginning  of  a  passion,  unde- 
fined yet  resistless,  and  as  natural  to  her  being 
as  the  opening  of  a  flower  to  the  sun  or  the 
cooing  of  a  dove  to  its  mate. 

She  had  a  house  of  her  own,  over  which  the 
convolvulus  clambered,  and  the  few  wahines 
(girls)  who  served  her  were  strictly  charged 
to  talk  with  her  only  on  household  matters. 


PU '  ALOHA,  THE  FLOWER  OF  LOVE.  5 

She  was  not  haughty  or  unkind  to  them,  but 
they  were  her  menials.  The  wrinkled  crone, 
who  taught  her  to  cook  simple  viands,  to  strip 
the  cocoanut  and  to  stamp  rude  figures  on  tapa 
(native  cloth)  was  a  genial  soul  with  a  pleasant 
word  for  her  pua  (blossom),  but  beyond  her 
sphere  as  an  instructor  she  was  told  to  hold 
her  tongue. 

Up  to  the  time  of  our  story,  the  girl  knew 
nothing  of  the  disagreeable  native  world  outside 
her  home.  She  might  espy,  when  the  atmos- 
phere was  clear,  some  of  the  hideous  images, 
gods  guarding  the  wall  of  a  temple  on  the  hill, 
but  she  thought  of  them  as  she  regarded  the 
beetling  crags  to  the  north,  in  a  sphere  wholly 
apart  from  her  own. 

Once  in  a  while,  some  hard-visaged  men,  the 
kahunas,  medicine-men  of  the  tribe,  were 
admitted  to  the  chief's  presence,  but  their 
cruel  functions  were  never  mentioned  in  her 
presence.  When  she  passed  any  of  these 
creatures  it  was  without  fear  or  curiosity. 
She  turned  her  face  away  because  she  did  not 
like  their  looks. 

She  did  not  even  know  that  there  were 
human  sacrifices  offered  in  the  temples.  All 
the  world  outside  the  enclosure,  except 
glimpses  of  little  villages  and  the  sea,  was  an 
unknown  country.  She  had  her  pretty  flowers, 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


her  beloved  ravine  and  her  playmate  ;  why 
should  she  concern  herself  about  what  lay 
beyond  ?  She  grew  into  an  altogether  be- 
witching princess,  out  of  place  perhaps  among 
pagans,  but,  like  a  certain  flower  found  in 
crevices  of  black  lava,  quite  as  choice  and  fra- 
grant as  many  flowers  planted  in  a  more  con- 
genial soil. 

One  other  of  her  attendants  should  be 
mentioned  ;  a  queer  dwarf  who  lay  at  night 
outside  her  grass  house  to  guard  it.  She  called 
him  Menehune*(brownie)and  half  believed  that 
he  belonged  to  the  good  little  people  that  she 
had  been  told  made  gourds  grow  in  a  single 
night  and  danced  in  the  moonlight  on  the 
mountains.  He  was  a  frolicsome  fellow,  and 
true  as  steel  to  his  young  mistress.  Pu'  Aloha 
was  never  at  a  loss  for  amusement  when  he 
was  at  hand.  He  had  slits  in  his  ears  and  could 
put  his  thumbs  through  them,  letting  his  large, 
uncouth  hands  hang  down  in  front.  His  face 
was  embellished  with  several  lines  across  the 
nose  and  the  cheeks,  which  he  said  he  got  in 


*  The  Hawaiian  language  is  most  musical  ;  but,  in  order 
to  realize  this,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that,  in  representing 
the  words  and  names  in  our  roman  letters,  the  vowels  take 
the  European  sounds  (a  being  ah  ;  e,  a  ;  5,  ee  ;  o,  o ;  and  u,  oo. ) 
Moreover,  there  are,  as  in  Italian,  no  silent  letters,  each 
vowel  being  pronounced.  Thus,  the  word  wahine  is  wa-hi- 
ne  ;  the  name  Menehune,  is  Me-ne-hu-ne ;  etc. 


PU* ALOHA,  THE  FLO  TVER  OF  LOVE.  7 

the  wars.  His  language  was  in  monosyllables 
and  signs,  but  for  purposes  of  his  own  he  really 
feigned  to  be  more  of  a  fool  than  he  was. 

Hookama,  the  playmate  of  Pu'  Aloha,  was  a 
full-blooded  native,  adopted,  as  his  name  im- 
plied, by  the  chief  Numuku.  He  had  never 
been  told  who  his  parents  were,  nor  did  he  care 
much  to  know.  He  was  treated  as  the  chief's 
son,  and  was  full  of  life  and  vigor.  He  could 
beat  many  other  chiefs'  sons  in  throwing  the 
spear  and  swimming  in  the  surf.  His  physical 
proportions  made  him  a  marked  figure  among 
the  higher  retainers  of  the  chief.  He  could 
climb  precipices,  leap  chasms,  and,  because  of 
his  accomplishments  in  this  line,  Numuku 
made  him  his  head  bird-catcher,  a  pursuit  re- 
quiring great  daring  and  adroitness.  He 
could  cling  to  a  reef  while  a  dozen  heavy  seas 
swept  over  it,  and  in  warlike  prowess  had  al- 
ready distinguished  himself.  In  the  last  battle 
with  a  neighboring  tribe,  by  his  boldness  and 
sagacity  as  a  scout  he  enabled  his  chief  to  sur- 
prise in  a  rocky  defile  and  cut  off  a  hostile 
band,  double  the  number  of  the  chief's  fol- 
lowers. He  accepted  of  course  the  gods 
and  traditions  of  his  race.  He  liked  best 
to  listen  when  the  old  prophetess,  one  of  the 
chief's  household,  chanted  a  mele,  filled  with 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


the  romance  and  myths  which  constituted  a 
large  part  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Hawaiians. 
Many  of  these  fanciful  and  poetic  stories  he 
learned  by  heart,  and  often  beguiled  an  hour 
of  idleness  with  Pu'  Aloha,  by  relating  them 
to  her.  In  these  myths,  he  chose  excep- 
tional passages  which  tell  of  noble  conduct  and 
faithful  attachment,  in  the  midst  of  much  that 
is  cruel,  false  and  vile.  By  an  instinctive 
feeling,  the  grosser  allusions  and  tales  he  kept 
from  the  maiden,  as  he  would  shield  her  from 
nettles  and  prickly  shrubs  in  her  play. 

He  fell  in  with  most  of  the  customs  of  the 
people,  some  of  which  need  not  be  narrated ; 
but  there  was  one  thing  he  abhorred.  It 
was  the  manner  in  which  the  chiefs  and 
priests  obtained  victims  for  sacrifice  to  the 
gods.  The  mu  (assassin)  stole  up  behind  a 
feeble  or  defenceless  native  and  clutching  him 
by  the  neck  or  arms  carried  him  off  to  death 
by  strangulation. 

This  Hookama  considered  a  most  cowardly 
act.  To  stand  one's  ground  and  take  the 
chances  in  a  fair  fight  and  then,  if  conquered, 
to  meet  even  a  horrible  death  in  the  heiau 
(temple)  was  a  part  of  the  savage's  religion,  but 
to  take  a  man  at  unawares  and  throttle  him, 
as  a  gift  to  the  gods,  seemed  meaner  than 
cowardice. 


PU*  ALOHA,  THE  FLOWER  OF LOVE.  9 

To  such  a  playmate  and  companion  Pu'Aloha 
became  a  sort  of  divinity  to  be  served  and 
honored.  He  was  her  vassal.  He  never 
dreamed  that  she  was  like  other  maidens,  to 
be  wooed  and  won  by  him. 

Several  weeks  before  the  day  when  Pu'  Aloha 
stood  looking  seaward,  Hookama  had  been 
sent  by  his  chief  to  Hawaii,  the  largest  and 
most  southern  island  of  the  group,  about  two 
hundred  miles  away.  Ostensibly  his  mission 
was  to  obtain  some  rare  feathers  of  birds,  not 
found  on  the  other  islands. 

The  expedition  was  fraught  with  peculiar 
danger  because  the  king  of  Hawaii  was 
hostile  to  the  king  of  Oahu,  who  was  at  this 
very  time  righting  on  the  side  of  the  king  of 
Maui  against  him.  If  a  bird-catcher  or  any 
other  native  from  Oahu  was  caught  on  the 
island  of  Hawaii  he  would  certainly  be  sacri- 
ficed to  the  gods.  Numuku  knew  this  peril, 
and  for'that  very  reason  sent  Hookama  to  meet 
it.  One  of  the  chief's  retainers,  Paao  by  name, 
had  for  a  long  time  entertained  a  passion  for 
Pu'  Aloha  and  kept  an  espionage  over  her, 
becoming  extremely  jealous  of  her  growing 
intimacy  with  Hookama.  Paao  lived  in  a  grass 
house  outside  of  the  enclosure,  and  behind  a 
thick  growth  of  cactus  could  act  the  spy.  He 
was  keeper  of  the  chief's  mantles,  and  used 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


every  pretext  to  present  himself  at  the  door  of 
the  big  house.  Once  he  accosted  the  maiden, 
as  she  was  seated  under  the  hao  tree  near  her 
house,  weaving  wreaths,  but  she  merely  looked 
up  and  replied  carelessly  to  his  flattery.  It 
was  not  long  before  his  obtrusive  attentions 
provoked  her  to  repel  him  with  an  indignant 
answer.  After  that,  she  conceived  the  utmost 
aversion  toward  him  and  avoided  him  when- 
ever he  approached.  He  was  a  person  of  some 
hereditary  pretension,  tracing  back  his  pedigree 
to  a  priest  of  the  same  name  who  migrated  to 
the  island  in  the  eleventh  century.  The  main- 
tenance of  records  of  lineage  among  the  chiefs 
and  higher  classes  of  the  Hawaiian  Islanders, 
is  an  incidental  evidence  of  their  intellectual 
superiority  to  other  Polynesians,  although  it 
does  not  seem  to  have  carried  with  it  any 
pride  of  moral  quality.  If  indeed  Paao  was 
descended  from  this  ancient  priest,  he  inherited 
an  unenviable  legacy  with  the  name,  for  not 
only  was  this  distant  ancestor  well  versed  in 
sorcery  but  was  of  a  most  cruel  and  unscrupu- 
lous nature. 

Pu'  Aloha,  wholly  unsuspicious  of  evil,  openly 
showed  her  partiality  for  the  chief's  bird- 
catcher,  and  Paao  took  advantage  of  this  to 
poison  the  chief's  mind  against  Hookama. 
Under  the  impulse  of  jealousy,  Numuku 


PU '  ALOHA,  THE  FLOWER  OF LO VE.          1 1 

determined  to  get  rid  of  the  young  man. 
Hookama  himself  was  greatly  elated  by  the 
prospect  of  launching  his  boat  at  the  chief's 
command  to  do  a  daring  deed.  He  knew  the 
danger  but  was  eager  to  encounter  it. 

His  canoe,  hollowed  out  by  his  own  hand 
from  the  trunk  of  a  koa  tree  was  staunch  and 
sea-worthy.  He  had  tested  it  in  many  a  storm 
and  amid  the  breakers.  The  sail  was  of  stout 
matting,  of  a  tri-form  shape,  and  from  the  mast 
fluttered  a  colored  streamer,  suggestive  of  his 
rank.  A  rude  image  which  he  had  roughly 
hewn  from  wood  and  which  resembled  neither 
god  nor  man — a  kind  of  "  totem,"  with  a 
queer  head  and  a  human  body — was  lashed  in 
the  bow  of  the  canoe.  It  was  a  fancy  of  his 
to  ask  oracles  of  it  and  give  imaginary  answers. 
The  monster  was  the  result  of  a  sportive  freak 
and  afforded  him  amusement  rather  than  any 
serious  concern.  He  knew  that  only  the 
highest  chiefs  could  carry  real  images  of  the 
gods  with  them  on  their  expeditions. 

He  loaded  his  boat  with  a  few  necessary 
supplies ;  calabashes  of  food,  fishhooks,  and 
lines  of  cocoanut  fibre,  a  bird-catcher's  outfit, 
his  weapons,  and  a  small  mantle  of  yellow 
feathers,  which  he  had  secretly  made  for  him 
self.  He  had  some  bright  malos  (girdles)  and 
a  roll  of  tapa. 


KELEA :   THE  SURF-RIDER. 


Springing  into  the  canoe,  he  pushed  it  into 
deep  water  with  a  light  and  brave  heart,  wav- 
ing his  paddle  to  the  crowd  of  idle  natives  on 
the  beach.  Among  them  was  Paao,  who 
affected  a  great  friendship  for  him  and  gave 
him  a  dagger  made  of  a  shark's  tooth,  valuable 
both  for  use  and  ornament.  It  had  a  poisoned 
tip,  although  Hookama  was  not  aware  of  it. 
A  light  wind  was  blowing  off  shore,  and,  set- 
ting his  mast  and  sail,  the  youth  steered  his 
craft  through  the  single  opening  in  the  reef. 
Like  a  bird  on  the  wing,  lightly  skimming  the 
wave,  the  boat  passed  into  the  open  sea. 

Then  Hookama  climbed  out  and  stood  on 
the  outrigger,  and  with  dextrous  motions, 
flourished  his  dripping  paddle  blade  above  his 
head,  tossed  it  high  and  caught  it  in  its  de- 
scent. It  was  the  signal  of  farewell  that  he 
had  agreed  to  give  Pu'  Aloha,  who  was  watch- 
ing him  from  her  perch  in  a  tall  koa  tree, 
where  he  had  made  for  her  a  rude  resting 
place,  with  a  netting  which  secured  her  from 
falling.  She  waved  her  bright  red  mantle  as 
she  saw  each  movement  of  his  play  in  the  clear 
atmosphere.  Proudly  she  looked  at  his  form 
and  wondered  at  his  skill.  Then  lying  back  in 
her  nest  she  lost  herself  in  a  delicious  languor 
of  love  and  dreams. 

But  the  glance  which    Hookama  had  given 


PW  ALOHA,  THE  PL  O  WER  OF  LOVE.          13 

to  the  bright  red  spot  on  the  cliff  was  not  lost 
by  Paao,  who  took  his  way  sullenly  along  the 
beach,  muttering  curses  on  his  rival  and  strik- 
ing with  his  stick  every  cowering  native  that 
crossed  his  path.  He  was  hated  as  much  as 
Hookama  was  liked  by  the  common  people. 

Passing  what  is  now  called  Koko  Head, 
Hookama  lowered  his  sail  to  meet  the  seeth- 
ing waters  of  the  Kaiwi  channel  between 
Oahu  and  Molokai,  where  the  currents  and  the 
trade  winds  clash  and  keep  the  waves  in  vio- 
lent commotion.  Thrusting  his  paddle  into 
the  contending  billows  he  battled  with  them 
as  if  revelling  demons  threatened  to  engulf 
him. 

The  wind-god  put  him  on  his  mettle  under 
the  giant  cliffs  of  Molokai.  Ghouls  and  gob- 
lins of  the  dark  caverns  seemed  to  haunt  the 
shadows  of  overhanging  rocks.  Nothing 
daunted,  late  at  night  on  the  second  day  of 
his  venturesome  voyage,  he  reached  the  island 
of  Maui  and  landed  at  Waihee,  once  the  lovely 
inheritance  of  Namahana,  daughter  of  the  most 
renowned  king  of  Maui's  long  line  of  warrior 
chiefs. 


CHAPTER  II. 

KELEA,  THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUI. 

THE  white  sand  of  the  beach  was  luminous 
in  the  full  tropical  moonlight,  as  our  stalwart 
young  savage  strode  up  from  the  sea  towards 
a  line  of  lofty  cocoa-nut  palms.  Beyond  was 
a  village  of  thatched  huts,  nestling  in  the  midst 
of  luxuriant  foliage.  He  had  drawn  his  canoe 
above  the  reach  of  the  incoming  tide  and  now 
sought  a  resting  place  for  the  night. 

He  was  weary  after  his  toilsome  journey  of 
many  a  score  of  leagues  through  the  boisterous 
channels  between  his  home  on  the  island  of 
Oahu  and  the  island  of  Maui  which  he  had 
never  visited  before.  But  there  was  an  air  of 
bravado  in  his  swinging  gait,  for  he  was  on  a 
quest  from  his  chief,  which  meant  great  honor 
if  he  succeeded,  disgrace  and  perhaps  death  if 
he  failed. 

His  brawny  muscles  were  wet  with  the  spray 


KELEA,  THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUL          15 

of  the  breakers  and  his  graceful  form  was  un- 
encumbered by  any  clothing  save  a  malo,  or 
breech-cloth,  around  his  loins.  His  face  was 
fine  and  prepossessing,  for  he  was  of  royal 
blood.  His  name,  Hookama,  the  Adopted 
One,  gave  no  hint  of  his  rank,  but  every 
islander  of  the  Hawaiian  group  would  know  at 
a  glance  that  he  was  no  ordinary  personage. 

Approaching  a  large  grass  house,  overrun 
with  vines,  he  was  surprised  to  find  the  en- 
trance open,  no  occupant  within,  and  the  rem- 
nants of  recent  feasting  spread  out  on  the 
floor.  Calabashes  partially  filled  with  food, 
garments  of  tapa  cloth  and  mats,  heaped  in 
confusion,  told  of  the  hasty  departure  of  the 
owners  of  the  house. 

From  the  village  of  Waihee  where  he  acci- 
dentally landed,  the  famous  queen  Namahana, 
with  her  husband,  a  warlike  chief,  had  been 
driven  out  by  her  half-brother,  now  king  over 
a  large  part  of  the  island.  She  had  lived  here 
in  princely  style;  her  gardens,  taro  patches 
and  palm  groves  were  extraordinary  in  size 
and  luxuriance.  Her  possessions  had  passed 
to  a  favorite  chief  of  the  usurper  and  were  still 
maintained  in  a  royal  way. 

The  youth  Hookama  was  in  too  great  need 
of  sleep  to  seek  the  cause  of  the  disorder  in 
the  house,  which  was  evidently  that  of  a  chief- 


16  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

tain  :  hastily  partaking  of  the  food,  he  flung 
himself  on  an  irregular  pile  of  mats  and 
dropped  into  a  deep  slumber. 

How  long  he  slept  he  did  not  know,  but 
when  he  awoke  it  was  to  find  himself  sur- 
rounded by  a  bevy  of  laughing  damsels,  pro- 
fusely adorned  with  flowers  and  apparently 
enjoying  themselves  at  his  expense.  The 
morning  sun  shone  brightly  through  the  door- 
way. The  young  stranger  lay  stretched  on 
the  mats  and,  as  he  awoke  with  a  sudden  move- 
ment and  sat  upright,  the  girls  drew  back  and 
fell  over  one  another  in  their  effort  to  get  be- 
yond his  reach.  Their  hurried  movements 
showed  that  they  had  been  too  inquisitive  in 
investigating  the  tattoo  marks  on  his  shoulders 
and  breast  in  their  curiosity  to  discover  his  rank. 

A  courtly  salutation  from  the  object  of  their 
scrutiny  allayed  their  fears  and  gave  them 
ample  opportunity  to  recover  their  composure. 
They  were  a  merry  group,  obviously  from  the 
better  class  of  natives.  One  seemed  superior 
to  the  rest  and  "was  the  leader  in  their  frolic. 
With  well-rounded  forms,  clothed  in  theflau, 
the  customary  short  skirt  of  the  women  of 
Hawaii,  and  some  of  them  wearing  bracelets  on 
the  wrists,  they  made  a  pretty  picture  as  the 
youth  gazed  inquiringly  into  their  faces  and 
watched  their  graceful  postures. 


KELEA,   THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUL          17 

Their  hair  was  short  above  the  forehead  ; 
long  wavy  locks  fell  over  their  shoulders,  and 
there  was  a  simplicity  in  their  looks  and 
actions  which  the  life  of  high  caste  native 
women  naturally  produced.  One  or  two 
might  be  the  belles  of  the  village.  They  were 
all  of  large  frames,  well  proportioned.  When 
they  stood  erect  their  figures  had  considerable 
style  and  beauty  of  outline.  They  were  too 
large  and  plump  for  nymphs  or  fairies  of  civil- 
ized legends,  but,  judged  by  Hawaiian  stan- 
dards, were  an  attractive  group. 

Some  of  the  younger  girls  began  to  giggle 
when  the  silence  became  embarrassing,  neither 
party  being  prepared  to  begin  a  conversation. 
A  few  sidled  towards  'the  opening.  They  had 
no  right  to  be  prying  about  in  a  house  belong- 
ing to  the  men,  especially  when  a  man  was  in  it. 
When  then  a  few  of  the  more  timid  made  a 
movement  towards  the  door  the  whole  bevy 
rushed  out,  and  Hookama,  following,  saw  them 
fleeing  to  the  beach,  where  most  of  them 
plunged  into  the  water  like  a  flock  of  sea-birds 
and  began  to  sport  in  the  surf. 

A  part  seized  their  surf-boards,  pushed  them 
through  the  nearer  breakers,  and  then,  lying 
down  upon  them,  rode  back  to  the  shore. 
These  boards  were  made  by  stone  axes  from 
hard  koa  wood,  slightly  hollowed  and  polished, 


i8  KELEA;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

broad  enough  to  carry  the  body  and  from 
six  to  eight  feet  in  length. 

On  these  floats  some  even  stood  erect  and 
balanced  themselves  as  they  were  carried  along 
by  the  smaller  rollers.  Their  audacious 
struggles  with  the  waves,  their  loud  shouts 
when  a  big  roller  tumbled  them  over,  and 
their  comely  shoulders  rising  from  the  sea, 
made  the  scene  a  lively  one.  The  spray 
they  tossed  with  their  arms  sparkled  in  the 
sunbeams,  completing  the  beauty  of  the 
sight. 

A  few  of  these  water-sprites,  more  daring 
than  the  rest,  swam  out  beyond  the  combing 
breakers  and  disported  themselves  in  deeper 
water.  One  or  two  chanced  to  find  Hookama's 
canoe  which  he  had  left  on  the  shore,  and  were 
examining  its  contents,  carelessly  left  in  the 
boat  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  people  of 
Maui  were  known  to  be  arrant  thieves. 

But  these  inquisitive  damsels,  happening  to 
look  back,  saw  Hookama  coming  from  the 
chiefs  house  and  sprang  away,  leaping  into  the 
surf  to  join  their  companions  in  the  morning 
bath.  They,  however,  had  found  out  by  the 
scarlet  cloak  in  the  canoe  that  the  stranger  was 
a  chief  of  high  degree. 

Hookama,  accustomed  to  the  merry  games 
of  water  nymphs  at  Waikiki,  a  village  on  one 


KELEA,   THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUL          19 

of  the  beaches  of  Oahu,  needed  no  second  im- 
pulse to  run  towards  the  group  of  mermaids 
and  soon  was  among  them  battling  with  the 
breakers. 

The  girl  he  had  noticed  at  the  house  as  the 
comeliest  and  the  strongest,  oblivious  of  every- 
thing but  the  joy  of  buffeting  the  waves, 
suddenly  found  herself  far  away  from  the 
others  and  looking  out  ahead  was  horrified  to 
see  the  back  fin  of  a  large  shark  cutting  the 
water  and  coming  in  her  direction.  With  a 
scream  of  terror  she  turned  to  the  shore  and 
a  huge  wave,  combing  at  that  instant,  enabled 
her  by  vigorous  swimming  to  increase  the  dis- 
tance between  her  and  her  pursuer.  She  had 
never  known  a  shark  to  venture  so  near  the 
beach. 

Then  began  a  desperate  race  for  life.  The 
girl  was  in  deep  water  where  a  shark  can 
easily  take  its  prey,  and  she  knew  that  her 
only  chance  to  escape  was  to  reach  a  sand-bar 
which  jutted  out  from  the  shore,  although 
quite  a  distance  from  where  she  was.  Her 
swimming  was  the  admiration  and  envy  of  all 
her  companions  on  the  island.  Her  courage 
in  the  breakers  was  phenomenal ;  but  now 
her  fright  prevented  her  from  using  her 
strength  and  skill.  Her  shrieks  rent  the  air 
and  reached  the  ears  of  Hookama  and  the 


20  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

wahines  who  cried  out  in  terror  when  they 
saw  the  perilous  situation. 

Hookama,  with  no  thought  but  to  rescue 
the  girl  from  the  jaws  of  Noa-alii,  the  shark- 
god,  plunged  into  the  deep  sea.  The  danger 
of  the  maiden  inspired  him  with  almost  in- 
credible strength.  She  was  swimming  in  a 
direction  parallel  with  the  beach,  and  Hookama 
took  a  course  nearly  at  a  right  angle  to  inter- 
cept the  shark  before  it  could  snatch  its  prey. 
The  shark  was  gaining  rapidly  in  the  race, 
but  had  some  distance  yet  to  compass.  The 
approach  of  a  new  person  diverted  its  atten- 
tion only  for  a  moment,  and  then  it  kept  on, 
preferring,  as  sharks  do,  the  lighter  victim  to 
the  darker  one. 

The  girl  saw  Hookama  coming  to  her  rescue. 
She  counted  the  strokes  of  his  arms  as  he 
swam.  He  called  to  her  as  loud  as  he  could  to 
keep  up  her  courage.  He  had  some  experience 
in  hunting  sharks  for  sport,  and  knew  their 
habits,  but  so  great  was  the  emergency  that  he 
could  almost  see  in  his  mind's  eye  the  awful 
jaws  of  the  monster  crunching  the  girl's  flesh. 

Moments  passed  which  seemed  hours,  and 
the  shark  was  lessening  the  space  between  it 
and  the  girl,  who  must  yet  go  a  considerable 
space  to  reach  shallow  water.  To  Hookama's 
relief,  the  fish  suddenly  turned  and  made  for 


KELEA,   THE  SURF-RIDER   OF  MAUL        21 

him.  There  was  no  fear  or  hesitation  in 
Hookama's  mind.  He  had  never  known  what 
fear  is,  and,  a  shark — god  or  fish — mattered 
nothing  to  him  so  long  as  that  girl's  face,  look- 
ing over  her  shoulder,  was  before  his  mind. 
She  at  least  was  saved  from  a  horrible  death. 

Taking  his  shark's  tooth  dagger  in  his  teeth 
— it  had  been  fastened  in  his  waist-cloth — he 
coolly  awaited  the  monster's  approach.  The 
situation  was  a  desperate  one.  Could  he  meet 
it  at  such  odds  ?  Removing  the  dagger  from 
his  mouth,  he  drew  two  deep  breaths,  treading 
water  till  he  saw  the  shark,  now  close  upon 
him,  sink  down  in  order  to  turn  belly-up- 
wards to  enable  his  short  under  jaw  to  seize 
the  legs  of  his  prey. 

There  was  a  white  flash  under  the  clear 
water  just  where  the  shark  disappeared. 
Hookama  knew  what  it  meant.  Gleaming  be- 
neath the  waves,  a  few  feet  below  the  surface, 
the  terrific  creature  moved  in  a  curve  which 
would  bring  it  up  in  a  few  seconds  for  its 
attack. 

The  water  became  troubled  and  foamy.  It 
was  difficult  to  estimate  exactly  the  move- 
ments of  the  shark,  but  the  youth,  taking  the 
only  chance  left  to  him,  quick  as  lightning  and 
by  a  muscular  effort  of  which  few  athletes  are 
capable,  dove  and  swam  under  water — the  dag- 


KELEA :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


ger  now  in  his  right  hand,  and  his  eyes  wide 
open — trying  to  gain  a  lower  depth  than  the 
shark. 

Fortunately,  the  shark  did  not  turn  wholly 
over,  and  the  sudden  dive  of  Hookama  dis- 
concerted the  huge  fish,  so  that  when  it  passed 
the  youth,  it  presented  the  belly  side-wise, 
affording  a  wide  surface  for  a  thrust. 

Instantly,  Hookama  jerked  the  dagger  des- 
perately through  the  soft  flesh,  and  the  rapidity 
of  the  shark's  motion  swept  the  sharp  blade 
along,  making  a  deep,  lengthy  gash.  The 
young  man  rose  to  the  surface  some  yards 
away  and  knew,  by  the  splashing  of  the  shark's 
tail  above  the  waves  and  the  bloody  foam 
floating  around  it,  that  the  contest  was  over. 

With  the  reflection  that  it  was  a  good  thing 
to  have  a  dagger  at  hand,  since  nobody  can 
tell  when  it  may  be  needed,  Hookama  swam 
by  easy  strokes  to  the  sand-bank,  to  see  how 
it  fared  with  the  girl.  Looking  back,  he  saw 
the  shark  still  lashing  the  sea  in  convulsive 
throes,  but  its  spasms  gradually  decreased  un- 
til it  lay  lifeless  on  the  surface,  its  huge  bulk 
motionless  except  as  rocked  by  the  waves. 

The  rescued  maiden  reclined  upon  the  edge 
of  the  sand-bar,  where  the  ripples  touched  her 
feet.  She  was  almost  exhausted  and  but  par- 
tially recovered  from  her  fright.  As  Hookama 


KELEA,   THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUL        23 

approached,  she  raised  herself  on  her  elbow 
and  shaded  her  eyes  with  her  hand,  as  if  from 
the  glare  of  the  sun,  but  in  reality  after  the 
coquettish  manner  of  a  maid,  who  finds  herself 
for  the  first  time  alone  with  a  man  towards 
whom  she  feels  the  awakening  of  a  new  senti- 
ment. 

When  she  tried  to  express  her  thanks,  the 
youth  laughed  merrily  and  said  :  "  It  wasn't 
much  of  a  shark  after  all.  The  shark-king 
must  have  sent  one  of  his  clowns  in  search  of 
sport ;  "  but  both  he  and  the  girl  were  glad  that 
the  "  sport "  had  terminated  without  more 
mischief  in  it,  so  far  as  they  were  concerned. 

Hookama  could  not  take  his  eyes  from  the 
attractive  maiden,  who,  on  her  part,  was 
equally  his  captive.  It  was  not  so  much  the 
girl's  fresh  and  rather  handsome  face  that  at- 
tracted the  youth,  as  the  pluck  she  had  shown 
and  the  muscular  proportions  of  her  form. 
The  eye  of  a  savage  cares  less  for  fine  curves 
and  delicate  lines  in  a  woman,  than  for  the  ro- 
bust contour  which  betokens  strength  of  body 
and  sturdy  endurance.  The  two  then  swam 
leisurely  towards  the  beach,  and  while  Hook- 
ama praised  her  swimming,  she,  on  her  part, 
was  wondering  whether  or  not  a  shark-god, 
or  any  god,  could  compare  in  beauty  and  vigor 
with  the  hero  who  had  saved  her  from  the 


24  KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

tragic  fate  of  a  visit  to  the  coral  shades 
below. 

When  they  reached  the  shore  she  disen- 
tangled the  seaweed  which  clung  to  her  di- 
shevelled locks,  and  turning  towards  the  ocean, 
shook  the  glutinous  mass  and  vowed  an  offer- 
ing to  Kane-huli-koa  (god  of  the  sea,)  as  she 
laughingly  said  to  Hookama,  "  Because  the 
deity  had  sent  such  a  noble  messenger  to  the 
rescue." 

The  wahines,  who  in  terror  had  watched 
the  exciting  contest  from  the  shore,  were  over- 
joyed at  the  result.  They  clustered  about  the 
maiden,  threw  a  tapa  mantle  over  her  shoulders, 
and  insisted  that  Hookama  should  return  with 
them  to  a  house,  which  they  pointed  out  as 
the  home  of  K-elea.  This  was  the  rescued 
girl's  name ;  she  was  the  daughter  of  the  chief 
of  Waihee,  and  a  descendant  of  the  famous 
Kelea,  the  surf-rider  of  Maui,  celebrated  in 
the  myths  and  legends  of  Hawaii. 

When  the  party  reached  a  large  grass  house, 
the  girls,  drawing  back  a  curtain  of  richly 
stained  tapa  cloth  from  the  -opening,  disclosed 
an  apartment  of  unusual  size  and  decorated 
with  shells  festooned  from  the  rafters.  Other 
evidences  of  feminine  taste  showed  that  its 
owner  was  of  the  highest  rank. 

A  wide  couch  of  fine  mats  filled  a  corner  of 


KELEA,    THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUL          25 

the  room.  On  this,  the  wahines  asked 
Hookama  to  lie  down,  that  they  might  apply 
to  him  the  lomi-lomi  process,  by  which  the 
muscles  are  made  soft  and  supple  and  the 
circulation  of  the  blood  quickened. 

The  girls  annointed  his  body  with  fragrant 
oils  ;  then  they  applied  their  strong  hands  to 
the  flesh,  working  the  joints  and  manipulating 
the  muscles,  all  the  while  murmuring  a  chant 
as  their  bodies  swayed  to  and  fro  in  their  work. 
The  theme  of  their  improvised  measure  was 
the  shark-god,  KamoJio-alii^  who  could  take  on 
a  human  form  at  will,  and  frequented  the 
waters  around  Maui ;  they  assumed  that 
Hookama  was  this  god  and  that  he  sent  away 
the  shark  that  pursued  Kelea,  by  his  superior 
authority. 

When  Hookama  was  rubbed  and  polished 
to  his  supreme  refreshment  and  content,  Kelea 
took  his  place  for  the  same  enjoyable  minis- 
trations, and  he  went  out  to  take  a  good  look 
at  Waihee  and  its  surroundings. 

Waihee  Valley  !  How  can  it  be  described  ? 
a  paradise  of  verdure,  with  a  ravine  carpeted 
in  moss  and  decked  with  wild  begonia ;  trail- 
ing vines  and  towering  ferns,  with  the  scarlet 
blossoms  of  the  lehua  tree  on  every  side  ; 
picturesque,  tropical,  overshadowed  by  a  lofty 
mountain,  and  the  ocean  lapping  its  shores. 


KELEA  :    THE  SURF-RIDER. 


Few  places,  even  in  Hawaii,  equal  it  in  its  va- 
riety and  beauty  of  scenery. 

There  were  numerous  grass  houses ;  the 
best  of  them  for  the  chief  and  his  attendants, 
and  a  hundred  inferior  huts  for  the  natives. 
It  puzzled  the  young  alii  (chief)  that  there 
were  no  canoes  on  the  shore,  no  men  lounging 
about  and  no  women  in  the  taro  patches. 

To  be  sure,  it  was  early  in  the  day,  but  not 
too  early  for  village  life.  It  was  not  long, 
however,  before  Hookama  saw  the  bent  form 
of  an  old  man,  with  grisly  beard,  and  a  stick 
in  his  hand,  emerging  from  one  of  the  better 
class  of  the  grass  houses. 

It  proved  to  be  a  priest,  left  in  charge  of  the 
heiau,  or  sacrificial  temple.  From  him  Hook- 
ama learned  that  the  apparent  desertion  of 
the  village  was  caused  by  the  news  of  an  im- 
pending battle,  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  to  the 
south.  Kahekili,  the  king  of  this  island  of 
Maui,  was  awaiting  an  attack  from  the  King 
of  Hawaii,  whose  movements  had  been  made 
known  to  him  only  a  few  days  before. 

"  Even  now,"  said  the  old  man,  "  the  canoes 
of  the  feather-war-capes  are  mirrored  in  the 
waves,  and,"  covering  his  eyes  with  his  shaky 
hand,  "  I  see  a  bloody  field  and  the  heiau  al- 
tars piled  with  victims." 

Further  conversation    made    Hookama   ac- 


KELEA,  THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MA  UI.          27 

quainted  with  the  expected  arrival  of  his  own 
king,  Kahahana,  the  young  moi  of  Oahu,  who, 
as  he  knew,  had  left  his  own  island  the  pre- 
vious week,  with  a  large  reinforcement  of  war- 
riors, to  aid  Kahekili,  King  of  Maui,  his  wife's 
half-brother. 

The  aged  priest  pointed  to  a  small  heiau, 
and  said  he  must  go  and  pray  for  success  to 
the  arms  of  his  chief;  he  also  informed  the 
youth  that  the  chief  to  whom  the  King  of 
Maui  had  given  this  beauitful  estate  of  Wai- 
hee,  hastily  departed  with  all  his  men,  his 
wives  and  servants,  the  day  before.  The 
infirm  and  some  women  and  children  had  been 
sent  with  a  guard  to  the  hills.  His  daughter, 
Kelea,  and  the  younger  daughters  of  the  lesser 
chiefs  of  the  settlement  remained. 

"  What,"  asked  Hookama,  "  with  you  alone 
for  a  guard  ?  As  well  leave  tender  fowls  in 
charge  of  a  toothless  dog  !  " 

"  Ah  !  "  answered  the  priest,  "  well  enough 
may  the  soft  plumaged  birds  stay  with  an  old 
dog  like  me,  unless  a  bird-catcher  chances  to 
set  his  wily  snares  for  their  capture  ;  "  and  he 
looked  at  Hookama  with  a  glance  full  of 
meaning,  the  word  "  bird-catcher,"  spoken  at  a 
venture,  having  brought  a  flush  to  the  young 
man's  cheek.  By  that  word,  the  youth  was 
sure  that  the  old  man  was  a  Kekuna-nui,  a 
diviner  and  sorcerer. 


28  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

But  the  news  of  an  imminent  battle  and  of 
his  mots  expected  arrival  on  the  scene,  a  few 
hours'  march  away,  changed  the  whole  current 
of  his  thoughts  and  plans.  Hastily  bidding 
the  old  priest  "  Beware  of  bird-catchers,  and 
look  well  to  the  alae  (sacred  birds)  and  espe- 
cially to  the  uau  (a  bird  living  near  the  water)/' 
he  hurried  back  to  the  house  where  he  had 
left  Kelea.  Entering  hastily  he  beheld  her 
braiding  her  luxuriant  tresses  with  bright  flow- 
ers and  displaying  charms  which  he  had  but 
partially  seen  before.  The  delicate  tint  of  her 
cheeks  was  heightened  by  the  lomi-lomi  proc- 
ess, and  the  softness  of  her  eyes  increased 
the  young  man's  admiration  as  she  met  his 
gaze  with  an  answering  look  of  gratitude  and 
constraint. 

Hookama  broke  the  silence  when  Kelea  arose 
from  the  couch,  as  Hawaiian  women  always 
did  in  presence  of  their  lords,  by  saying : — 

"  Yonder  mountains  are  bright  with  the 
splendor  of  a  victory  ;  Hookama  is  no  slave 
even  to  the  uau  with  soft  plumage,  that  he 
should  not  serve  her  king  and  his  own.  Kelea 
is  a  pleasant  name  :  it  is  like  the  ripple  of  the 
sea  on  the  sands,  but  shall  the  spear  be  bur- 
ied under  the  foam-crests  because  the  bird- 
note  casts  a  spell  over  the  young  warrior's 
heart  ?  " 


KELEA,  THE  SURF-RIDER  OF  MAUL          29 

The  maiden  saw  in  an  instant  what  he  meant, 
and  that,  though  she  fascinated  him,  he  in- 
tended to  tear  himself  away  from  her  to  do 
battle  for  his  king.  But  it  was  not  in  her  na- 
ture to  repress  the  passions  of  her  soul,  for 
was  she  not  the  favorite  and  spoiled  daughter 
of  a  great  chief,  and  had  not  this  handsome 
youth  saved  her  from  the  awful  shark-god, 
who  would  have  carried  her  to  the  coral  groves, 
his  victim  and  his  bride  !  Prompted  by  some 
quick  intelligence  of  an  easy  conquest,  the 
girl,  with  the  right  which  Hawaiian  women 
had  to  woo  a  backward  lover  for  themselves, 
impetuously  flung  herself  upon  the  half- 
abashed  Hookama,  and,  before  he  could  avoid 
her  swift  caress,  he  found  himself  a  captive, 
the  eyes  of  Kelea  gazing  fondly  into  his  own, 
her  rosy  fingers  clasping  him  and  her  wavy  hair 
falling  over  his  shoulders,  as  she  laid  her  head 
on  his  breast  and  defied  him  to  leave  her. 

She  had  already  sent  away  the  girls  who  at- 
tended her  and  when  Hookama  had  returned, 
there  was  no  one  to  intrude  upon  the  scene. 

For  an  instant  he  hesitated  and  the  girl 
might  have  claimed  him  as  her  own  by  further 
advances,  had  not  the  passionate  words  spring- 
ing to  his  lips  been  interrupted  by  a  rush  of 
footsteps  and  a  hum  of  voices,  as  the  whole 
party  of  wahines  flocked  pell-mell  into  the 


30  XELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

house,  clamoring  for  Kelea  to  come  out  and 
command  the  old  priest  to  promise  not  to  tell 
the  chief  that  a  young  man  had  spent  the  day 
with  them. 

" The  old  kehuna"  they  cried,  "  will  do 
what  his  royal  mistress  bids  him  ;  or  if  he 
won't,  she  can  make  this  alii  from  Oahu  kill 
him,  and  we'll  feed  him  to  the  sharks.  Come, 
come,  Kelea,  come  quickly,  and  save  us  from 
the  miserable  informer  !  " 

But  the  baffled  girl,  her  eyes  blazing  and  her 
breast  heaving  like  a  tempest ;  abashed,  too, 
at  being  discovered  with  her  arms  about  the 
stranger,  called  out  in  shrill  tones,  "  Away, 
away !  Save  you  from  the  tabu !  no,  no ! 
The  kehuna  will  keep  his  clutch  on  me,  for  he 
has  an  old  grudge  against  me  already.  If  he 
can  hurt  me  through  you,  he  will  be  satisfied. 
Away  with  you  all !  What  is  a  score  of 
wahines  like  you  to  a  mots  daughter  like  me  !  " 
She  hardly  knew  what  she  was  saying,  so  vio- 
lent was  her  anger. 

Then  she  drew  herself  up  to  her  full  stature, 
which  gave  her  the  dignity  of  an  outraged 
queen  ;  the  maidens  fled  before  her  and  in  the 
seclusion  of  a  neighboring  grove  continued 
their  wailing  cries.  The  old  priest,  meanwhile, 
ascended  to  the  heiau,  muttering  maledictions 
on  man  or  woman  who  defied  the  tabu. 


KELEA,  THE  SURF-RIDER  OF 'MAUL          31 

This  new  attitude  of  Kelea  not  only  re- 
strained Hookama  from  further  dalliance  but 
revealed  to  him  the  need  of  caution.  Could 
he  enter  into  any  intimate  relations  with  a 
woman  who  showed  such  supreme  temper  and 
malignity  in  her  nature  towards  those  who 
opposed  her  will  ? 

"  How  different  she  is,"  he  thought,  as  the 
vision  of  one  whom  he  had  left  behind  flashed 
across  his  memory,  "  from  my  '  Flower  of  Love  ' 
in  far  off  Oahu  !  " 

It  was  therefore  with  something  like  a 
repellant  feeling  that  he  looked  at  Kelea,  as 
his  apprehensions  deepened  with  the  girl's  in- 
creasing wrath.  His  great  desire  now  was  to 
break  away  from  the  passionate  creature  who 
had  revealed  to  him  the  darker  side  of  her 
nature.  While  he  could  not  help  admiring  her 
magnificent  manner,  her  violence  quenched  the 
transient  fascination  which  had  cast  its  spell 
over  him.  But  he  craftily  spoke  honeyed  words ; 
bade  her  wait  for  his  return,  when  as  a  victor- 
ious warrior  he  might  lay  his  trophies  at  her 
feet.  He  vowed  most  solemnly  by  the  god  of 
war  and  a  thousand  deities  besides,  that  he 
would  come  back  and  be  her  captive,  if  she 
would  let  him  go  to  join  her  father  and  his  own 
king,  the  moi  of  Oahu.  "  No  warrior,"  he  said, 
"  will  turn  to  love  when  the  battle  calls  him." 


32  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

"  What  do  you  give  me  in  pledge  of  your 
promise  ?  "  asked  the  excited  girl. 

He  had  nothing  except  the  shark's  tooth 
dagger,  but  this  he  yielded  readily  and  Kelea 
hid  it  away  in  the  thatch  of  the  wall,  close  by 
her  couch. 

"  Remember,"  she  said,  as  she  touched  noses 
with  him  for  the  last  time  and  reluctantly  re- 
leased him  from  further  embraces,  "  remem- 
ber that  Kelea  will  claim  half  your  name  (the 
bride-token),  even  if  you  flee  from  her  to  the 
farthest  island  towards  the  setting  sun." 

Hookama,  glad  to  be  released  on  any  terms, 
hurried  to  the  beach,  replaced  the  mast,  the 
calabash  and  other  effects  which  the  wakines 
had  scattered  around  the  canoe,  and,  setting 
the  sail,  after  a  last  wave  of  his  hand  to  Kelea, 
bade  adieu,  as  he  hoped  forever,  to  the  sweet 
valley  of  Waihee,  where  he  had  met  with  such 
unexpected  and  surprising  adventures. 


CHAPTER  III. 

NUMUKU,   A   CHIEF    OF   OAHU. 

UNTIL  very  recently,  the  foster  father  of 
Pu'  Aloha,  if  we  may  call  by  that  name  one 
who  was  meditating  marriage  with  the  maiden, 
had  given  no  thought  to  the  companionship 
that  existed  between  her  and  the  bird-catcher. 
His  mind  being  now  warped  by  the  hints 
thrown  out  by  Paao,  he  watched  the  girl  in  the 
absence  of  Hookama  and  vowed  a  rich  malo 
for  the  loins  of  his  god  if  the  youth  did  not 
come  back  alive. 

He  was  too  shrewd  to  give  the  least  hint  to 
Pu'  Aloha  of  his  displeasure  ;  on  the  contrary 
he  showed  her  special  favor.  He  sent  a  brace- 
let of  priceless  shells  to  her  house  and  planted 
a  tabu  pole  in  front  of  her  door,  as  a  mark  of 
unusual  attention.  By  this  carved  stake,  orna- 
mented at  the  top  with  a  small  streamer  of 
white  tapa,  the  house  was  tabu  (forbidden) 


34  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RTDER. 

to  any  one  but  himself.  Whoever  intruded 
was  liable  to  suffer  death,  and  the  pole  could 
be  removed  only  by  his  own  hand. 

The  girl  was  pleased  at  this  mark  of  regard  and 
wove  a  special  wreath  of  lehua  blossoms  with 
which  to  receive  him.  The  uncouth,  bronzed 
bulk  of  the  old  savage  contrasted  strangely 
with  the  lovely  figure  of  the  maiden,  as  she 
rose  at  his  coming  and  placed  the  chaplet  over 
the  chief's  neck.  There  was  a  trace  of  nobility 
under  the  rude  lines  of  the  man's  face,  and,  as 
he  looked  into  the  frank  eyes  of  the  girl,  the 
suspicion  he  had  harbored  almost  disappeared 
from  his  mind. 

Something  in  her  beauty  overawed  his 
nature,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  the  coarse 
surroundings  of  his  life.  Were  it  not  that 
two  of  his  front  teeth  were  gone,  knocked  out 
years  before  during  the  funeral  obsequies  of 
his  predecessor,  his  smile  might  have  been 
attractive  as  he  recognized  that  his  captive 
had  grown  into  a  young  woman  of  surpassing 
loveliness.  Even  a  savage  may  be  conscious 
of  a  certain  kind  of  inferiority  in  presence  of 
so  fair  a  creature. 

He  felt  a  thrill  through  his  pagan  soul  and 
wondered  if  somehow  a  goddess  were  not 
imprisoned  in  this  beautiful  body.  He  had 
heard  of  such  transformations,  and  for  the 
moment  was  overcome  by  a  feeling  of  awe. 


A  CHIEF  OF  OAftU.  35 


Seeing  his  peculiar  expression,  Pu'  Aloha 
conceived  the  idea  that  she  had  a  power  over 
her  master  which  he  could  not  resist.  She 
had  a  consciousness  that  she  might  control  his 
actions,  and  it  at  first  gave  her  the  momentary 
enjoyment  of  a  sense  of  undefined  authority, 
without  the  least  desire  to  exercise  it.  An 
instant  later,  she  determined  to  use  her  power 
to  make  her  union  with  Hookama  sure. 

Like  a  flash  of  dazzling  light  she  sprang  for- 
ward, seized  a  yellow  mantle  from  the  swing- 
ing line  of  twisted  cocoa  fibre  above  her  head, 
and  with  a  gesture  of  feigned  deference,  put 
it  about  the  naked  shoulders  of  the  chief. 
Then  drawing  back,  she  bent  a  knee  and 
saluted  him  as  she  had  seen  his  retainers  bow 
when  he  passed  by. 

A  perplexed  look  came  into  his  eyes  as  he 
sat  down  on  a  heap  of  mats.  The  maiden 
seated  herself  beside  him,  as  she  had  often 
done,  and  playfully  clasped  her  arms  about  the 
savage,  fixing  her  eyes  steadfastly  on  his. 
Nestling  closely  —  for  had  he  not  always  been 
kind  to  her  ?  —  she  told  him  all  the  story  of 
her  new  feeling  for  Hookama.  It  was  the 
artless  talk  of  a  child  who  did  not  dream  that 
it  was  wrong  or  contrary  to  his  wishes  for  her 
to  love  the  playmate  of  her  youth  ;  and  yet 
there  was  a  shyness  in  her  manner  which 


36  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER^ 

made  her  speech  rather  hesitating  and  broken  ; 
a  sort  of  natural  modesty  that  added  depth  to 
her  words.  While  she  continued  her  confi- 
dences she  hid  her  face  in  a  fold  of  the  soft 
mantle,  so  that  she  did  not  see  the  storm 
gathering  on  Numuku's  forehead. 

She  had  no  time  to  finish  her  story  with 
the  request  that  she  might  have  the  young 
bird-catcher  for  her  own.  She  felt  the  thump- 
ing of  the  massive  chief's  heart,  and  his  body 
swayed  under  her  clasp,  while  an  impatient 
grunt  issued  from  his  lips,  as  if  a  latent  evil 
spirit  worked  within  him. 

Perceiving  this  unexpected  change,  and 
dreading  what  it  might  portend,  she  faltered 
in  her  speech  for  a  moment  and  the  next  was 
at  his  feet,  embracing  his  knees.  Shaking  her 
off,  the  chief  arose  to  his  full  height  ;  the  tabu 
stick  which  he  had  brought  in  his  hand  fell  to 
the  ground  ;  the  mantle  dropped  and  the  tall 
figure  towered  above  the  prostrate  girl. 

Terrified  beyond  measure,  Pu'  Aloha  cowered 
upon  the  floor,  not  daring  to  raise  her  eyes  to 
the  face  of  the  displeased  chief.  Why  he  was 
angry  with  her  she  did  not  know.  It  was  the 
shrinking  away  from  the  gaze  of  its  master  of 
a  dog  that  has  received  a  blow  without  under- 
standing why  it  was  given. 

But  when  Numuku  made  an  angry  gesture, 


NUMUKU,  A  CHIEF  OF  OAHU.  37 

leaning  toward  her  with  a  manner  full  of  warn- 
ing, she  leaped  to  her  feet,  and,  regaining  her 
self-command,  drew  herself  up  with  the  air  of 
a  queen  and  disdainfully  confronted  him.  She 
looked  at  him  with  superb  scorn,  as  much  as 
to  say  :  "  Touch  me  as  you  would  touch  a 
goddess." 

Then  softening,  and  remembering  that  her 
power  lay  in  her  fascination,  she  asked  in 
soothing  tones:  "Why  look  thus  terribly  on 
me,  thy  flower  of  love  (pua  aloha)  ?  What  has 
the  tender  blossom  done  to  cause  the  storm  to 
burst  upon  it?  " 

The  chief,  in  sputtering  gutturals,  too  angry 
to  speak  clearly,  replied  in  a  single  word  which 
he  spit  at  her ;  it  was  the  name  of  him  she 
loved — Hookama !  But  the  way  he  uttered  it, 
as  if  he  loathed  the  man  who  loved  the  flower 
to  which  he  had  no  claim,  nerved  the  heart  of 
the  girl.  Realizing  the  true  object  of  his  wrath, 
the  courage  of  her  now  fully-blossomed  love 
enabled  her  to  confront  the  savage  without  a 
tremor  or  a  fear : 

"  Deny  me,  O  Numuku,  and  I  defy  you  !  " 

She  snatched  a  shark's  tooth  dagger  from 
the  thatched  wall  where  its  handle  protruded, 
and  held  its  point  to  her  breast,  as  she  retreated 
with  her  eye  on  the  chief. 

Amazed  at  her  intrepid  spirit,  with  the  cun- 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


ning  of  his  race  the  strong  man  assumed  the 
manner  that  was  usual  with  him  in  her  presence 
and  burst  into  a  loud  laugh — a  guffaw  it  might 
better  be  called — and,  quietly  settling  down 
again  upon  the  mats,  shook  his  sides  as  if  try- 
ing to  suppress  his  mirth. 

"  It  was  my  jest  with  you,  child  !  To  see 
what  stuff  was  in  you.  My  little  flower,  think 
you  the  lightning  strikes  a  leaf  when  it  can 
rend  a  pandanus  tree  ?  I  would  defend  you 
even  against  the  great  god  Lono.  Hookama 
is  my  adopted,  just  as  you  are." 

Then  drawing  her  to  him,  leaving  the  sharp 
dagger  in  her  hand  as  if  it  were  a  plaything 
which  it  did  not  concern  him  to  notice,  he  laid 
his  large,  hard  hand,  which  had  wielded  many 
a  weapon,  soothingly  on  her  fair  head. 

"  The  man  that  harms  thee  is  doomed  to 
the  '  breaking  of  bones  '  before  the  sun  goes 
down." 

Seeing  that  she  was  reassured  by  his  words 
and  manner,  he  proceeded  to  tell  her  of  a  cus- 
tom in  the  land  which  allowed  a  woman  two 
protectors ;  one,  to  be  like  the  personal  atten- 
dant of  a  chiefess  ;  the  other,  a  lover  to  whom 
the  woman  is  consecrated  by  a  ceremony. 
Both  are  equal  in  a  sense,  but  with  unequal 
privileges  unless  the  woman  wills  otherwise. 

"  Trust  me,  my  Aloha  !  "  concluded  the  old 


NUMUKU,  A  CHIEF  OF  OAHU.  39 

deceiver,  making  a  grimace  under  his  mask  of 
smiles,  but  unperceived  by  the  girl  whose  face 
was  hidden  in  her  hands  :  "  I  will  be  your  pro- 
tector. Hookama  shall  be  your  servant — your 
bamboo  flute,  to  play  on  as  you  list — your 
lover  if  you  will — while  I  defend  you  both 
against  all  ill." 

The  gutturals  and  croaks  of  the  old  man 
were  as  music  to  the  ears  of  Pu'  Aloha,  for  they 
told  her  that  Hookama  would  be  hers.  The 
custom  of  the  land  made  no  difference  to 
her  and  awakened  no  repelling  emotion,  since 
she  hardly  thought  of  it  in  her  ecstasy  of 
hope. 

Springing  again  to  her  feet,  she  gracefully 
twisted  her  body  as  if  to  inaudible  music,  in 
token  of  her  desire  to  please  the  old  man  who 
sprawled  on  the  mats.  Then  roguishly  eyeing 
him,  she  took  the  wreath  from  his  neck  and 
scattered  the  thousand  fragrant  petals  over  the 
room,  finally  tripping  from  the  house  to  sit 
down  under  the  spreading  branches  of  her 
favorite  hao  tree  and  think  over  the  blissful 
future.  She  had  quite  forgotten  even  the  ex- 
istence of  Numuku. 

As  for  him,  no  sooner  had  her  form  faded 
into  the  evening  twilight  than  he  gathered 
himself  up,  pulled  his  great  ears  and  went  to 
his  own  house. 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


Once  inside  and  the  tapa  across  the  doorway, 
he  clutched  a  two-handed  club,  swung  it 
around  his  head  in  a  frenzy  of  fury,  as  if  slay- 
ing an  imaginary  foe.  The  contortions  of  his 
face  showed  that  wrath  overmastered  for  the 
time  any  tender  feeling  towards  his  adopted 
child,  who  up  to  this  hour  had  been  as  the 
apple  of  his  eye. 

At  last,  regaining  a  measure  of  composure, 
with  a  scowl  which  by  no  means  heightened 
the  beauty  of  his  countenance,  he  muttered  to 
himself  :  "  Priceless  feathers  in  the  helmet  of 
my  god,  when  Hookama's  heart  is  torn  out 
by  the  roots  and  laid  on  the  altar  !  "  With 
that  he  tumbled  in  a  heap,  and  the  guard 
who  had  come  to  the  door  knew  by  the  ac- 
customed sounds  that  the  chief  had  departed 
to  the  land  of  unquiet  dreams.  The  souls  of 
sleepers  were  supposed  to  leave  their  bodies, 
to  wander  in  realms  remote  and  sometimes  not 
the  most  agreeable. 

This  time,  Numuku's  soul  went  forth  into 
the  night,  attended  by  sounds  as  harmonious 
as  the  blare  of  the  conch  shell,  calling  warriors 
to  the  battle. 

The  old  fellow  had  his  moods.  Unless  angry, 
he  was  good  natured.  By  no  means  was  he  as 
cruel  as  many  of  the  chiefs.  He  had  also  con- 
siderable self-control  when  he  could  gain  his 


NUMUKU,  A  CHIEF  OF  OAHU.  41 

ends  by  holding  in  his  wrath.  Usually  indo- 
lent, apparently  indifferent,  he  ruled  his  sub- 
jects leniently  enough,  provided  they  brought 
him  the  regular  supply  of  food  and  drink. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS. 

HOOKAMA,  having  started  from  Waihee  in 
the  morning  and  having  less  than  ten  miles  to 
sail  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  arrived  before 
the  sun  was  high,  in  the  offing  outside  Kahu- 
lui  Bay. 

Here  an  exciting  scene  presented  itself. 
Hundreds  of  war-canoes,  double  and  single, 
some  with  triangular  sails  set  and  pennons 
flying,  some  propelled  by  a  score  of  warriors, 
were  hurrying  towards  the  beach,  their  pace 
accelerated  by  a  fresh  wind  from  the  north. 
The  sea  was  covered  with  white  caps  and  the 
billows  rolled  high,  their  crests  often  envelop- 
ing in  foam  the  frail  crafts  that  battled  with 
them  for  the  mastery. 

Bronze  figures,  with  red  and  yellow  feather 
helmets,  stood  erect  in  their  canoes,  steering 
with  paddles  and  apparently  oblivious  of  the 


THE  BA  TTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.         43 

spray  dashing  over  them,  intent  only  on  dis- 
tancing their  competitors  in  the  race  and  eager 
to  arrive  first  at  the  only  opening  through  the 
breakers,  which  was  so  narrow  that  only  one 
double  canoe  could  enter  with  safety. 

Tying  a  red  streamer  to  his  mast,  in  token 
of  his  rank,  Hookama,  whose  craft  was  the 
only  canoe  with  one  occupant,  steered  boldly 
among  the  competing  boats,  and  making  better 
time  than  the  rest,  reached  the  entrance  in  ad- 
vance of  many  whom  he  passed  in  the  race. 

One  burly  chief,  with  tattoo  marks  all  over 
his  body,  called  out,  banteringly,  "  What  shell 
of  an  egg  are  you  riding,  my  apapani  (little 
song-bird)  ?  Better  straddle  a  honu  (turtle) 
and  try  a  race  with  your  kahu  (nurse)  !  "  But 
when  Hookama  passed  him,  with  the  twenty 
paddlers  vainly  trying  to  forge  ahead,  and 
called  out  in  reply,  "  Ha,  ha !  my  hoko-lele 
(meteor)  ;  ask  the  women  to  put  on  your  malo 
for  you,  the  next  time  you  risk  a  sea-voyage." 
The  chief  scowled  at  him  and  flung  a  javelin 
which  passed  harmlessly  over  his  head  and  was 
caught  by  Hookama's  left  hand  on  the  other 
side.  Calmly  placing  the  trophy  in  the  bottom 
of  his  canoe,  the  young  sailor  bounded  over 
the  waves,  reached  the  entrance  and  had 
beached  his  canoe  and  stowed  away  the  mast, 
long  before  the  irate  and  discomfited  chief  had 
crossed  the  outlying  breakers. 


44  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

A  multitude  of  war-canoes,  and  canoes  laden 
with  provisions,  calabashes,  live  pigs  and 
bananas,  were  drawn  up  on  the  beach,  and 
thousands  of  warriors  from  the  northern  coast 
of  Maui,  assembling  at  the  command  of  the 
king  of  Maui,  were  hurrying  to  and  fro,  adjust- 
ing their  malos  and  weapons,  gesticulating  and 
singing  rude  songs,  pushing  each  other  angrily 
or  playfully,  and  gathering  into  squads  under 
their  respective  leaders.  It  was  a  mighty 
surge  of  dusky  tribesmen  from  the  most  turbu- 
lent island  of  the  group,  Maui  being  noted  for 
its  independent  aliis  (chiefs)  and  its  irrepres- 
sible tumults. 

Awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  chief  who  had 
hurled  his  javelin  at  him,  Hookama  at  his  ap- 
proach calmly  held  out  the  weapon  by  its 
point  and  politely  begged  the  owner  to  try  his 
luck  again,  assuming  an  attitude  a  few  paces 
off  with  his  arms  folded  and  with  right  leg 
advanced.  The  alii,  who  had  evidently  im- 
bibed too  much  awa  on  the  voyage,  eagerly 
grasped  the  weapon  by  the  handle,  as  offered 
by  Hookama,  and  with  a  fierce  imprecation 
launched  it  at  his  sneering  foe.  Hookama 
caught  it  in  a  twinkling  with  his  left  hand, 
flung  it  back  with  his  right,  and  the  red 
feathered  helmet  on  the  warrior's  head  was 
pierced  through  in  its  upper  part,  too  high  to 


THE  BA  TTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.         45 

wound  its  wearer,  but  with  a  force  which  un- 
settled the  tipsy  warrior's  gravity  and  caused 
him  to  totter  on  his  feet. 

Just  then,  as  luck  would  have  it,  a  porker, 
which  had  been  landed  from  a  canoe  near  by, 
ran  headlong  beneath  the  chief's  legs  and  fin- 
ished the  incomplete  result  by  sending  the 
huge  bulk  of  the  alii  sprawling  on  the  beach. 
Then  the  warriors,  who  had  come  in  the 
double  canoe  with  the  chief,  and  who  had 
hardly  taken  in  the  situation,  so  quickly  was 
the  affair  over,  poised  their  spears  and  would 
have  hurled  them  at  the  audacious  youth,  had 
not  a  score  of  other  warriors  immediately  sur- 
rounded Hookama  and  called  on  the  alits 
retainers  to  hold  their  hands. 

The  crowd  laughed  heartily  and  called  out, 
"  Sharpen  their  fingernails  and  let  them  fight 
it  out.  The  young  one  is  an  alii  too,  and  no 
fool."  This  turned  the  tide  in  Hookama's 
favor,  although  the  outraged  chief,  regaining 
his  feet,  insisted  on  a  swift  retribution  by  his 
men.  Finally,  however,  he  called  off  his  war- 
riors and  was  led  away  by  two  of  them,  every 
now  and  then  turning  back  to  curse  the  "  dog 
of  a  pig  "  that  had  served  him  such  a  trick. 

As  the  king  of  Oahu,  Kahahana,  had  not  yet 
arrived  from  Molokai,  where  he  stopped  on 
his  way  to  quell  an  insurrection,  Hook- 


46  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

ama  left  his  canoe  in  charge  of  one  of  the  keep- 
ers of  the  war-canoes  on  the  beach,  and,  taking 
his  weapons  and  effects,  set  out  for  the  high 
land  where,  he  was  told,  a  camping  ground 
had  been  selected  for  the  expected  warriors 
from  Oahu. 

On  reaching  the  plateau  west  of  the  village 
of  Waikapu,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the 
shore,  the  youth's  eye  roamed  ever  a  marvel- 
lous extent  of  country.  He  noted  mainly  the 
military  advantages  of  the  situation.  His 
heart  was  swelling  with  a  proud  ambition  to 
partake  of  the  glory  of  the  coming  fight. 

He  learned  from  one  of  the  warriors  of  Maui 
that  an  old,  restless  and  bloody  chief  from  the 
neighboring  island  of  Hawaii  had  already 
landed  at  Maalaea  Bay,  which  is  situated  be- 
tween East  and  West  Maui,  on  the  southern 
shore.  The  island  of  Maui  has,  on  the  map, 
something  of  the  shape  of  a  trowel,  the  handle 
being  the  smaller  western  end  and  the  blade 
the  larger  eastern  part.  Between  the  handle 
and  blade,  so  to  speak,  is  an  isthmus,  about 
twelve  miles  across  from  Maalaea  Bay  to  the 
Bay  of  Kahului,  where  Hookama  landed  when 
he  arrived  from  Waihee. 

The  isthmus  is  a  mile  or  two  of  varying 
width,  between  fertile  plains  and  lofty  moun- 
tains on  the  east,  and  less  lofty  but  equally 


THE  BA  TTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.          47 

romantic  ranges  on  the  west.  It  is  an  uneven, 
sandy  plain,  swept  by  strong  winds. 

The  next  day  opened  in  peerless  beauty. 
Winds  from  the  northwest  lifted  the  light 
sands  of  the  plain  and  fretted  the  fronds  of  the 
palms,  but  not  a  cloud  appeared  in  the  sky. 
There  was  the  bustle  of  forces  marshalling  in 
the  camp  of  the  king  of  Maui,  though  not  a 
single  warrior  appeared  in  the  plains.  The 
army,  hearing  that  the  Hawaiian  enemy  had 
started  from  Maalaea  Bay,  was  lying  in  ambush 
among  the  sand  dunes  in  the  form  of  a  semi- 
circle. Now  and  then,  a  scout  stole  along  the 
edge  of  the  valley,  or  through  the  salt  marshes 
and  jungles. 

The  king  of  Hawaii  sent  this  day  only 
eight  hundred  of  his  bravest  warriors  to  cross 
the  sandy  isthmus,  intending  to  follow  on  the 
next  day  with  his  whole  army.  These  doughty 
Hawaiian  braves  were  a  picked  body,  called 
the  Alapa,  the  flower  of  the  army,  all  equal 
in  height  and  with  spears  equal  in  length. 
They  grimly  jested  as  they  set  out  on  the 
wearisome  march,  and  expected  to  return  with 
many  prisoners  for  sacrifice  to  the  gods. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  isthmus  the  army  of 
Maui  was  equally  confident.  Hookama,  as  his 
king  had  not  yet  arrived,  was  stationed  with  a 
band  of  Mauians  in  the  reserve.  The  king  of 


48  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Maui  stood  on  one  of  the  highest  sand  hills, 
where,  hidden  from  those  coming  from  the 
south,  he  could  be  seen  by  his  own  men,  and 
also  obtain  a  good  view  down  the  valley. 

As  the  Hawaiian  Alapa  struggled  forward 
through  the  sand,  which  the  sun's  heat  made 
oppressive,  even  these  stout  warriors  became 
somewhat  weary,  but  not  one  lagged  behind. 
Occasionally,  the  whole  phalanx  broke  out 
in  war-songs  to  cheer  their  toilsome  way. 
Towards  noon,  Hookama,  straining  his  eyes 
southward,  saw  a  faint  cloud  of  dust  rising  in 
the  distance.  Soon,  as  the  solid  ranks  came 
in  sight,  moving  with  quicker  step,  the  am- 
bushed warriors  of  Maui  could  hardly  repress 
their  admiration  at  the  magnificent  sight. 

"These  are  no  dogs  of  foeman,"  said  Hook- 
ama, to  a  chief  near  by.  "  They  are  sons  of 
gods."  Usually,  before  a  battle,  leading  chiefs 
stood  forth,  bandying  taunts,  and  finally  hurl- 
ing spears  at  each  other,  as  a  signal  to  begin 
the  fight.  But  no  challenge  came  from 
either  side,  because  the  advancing  company  of 
grim  warriors  saw  no  army  in  array  against 
them.  They  heard  no  sound  and  saw  no 
spear. 

It  was  a  grand  spectacle,  as  the  Alapa  halted 
for  a  moment,  looking  around  them  for  an 
enemy  to  attack.  A  few  of  the  leaders  wore 


THE  BA  TTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.         49 

helmets,  and  brilliant  malos  around  their  loins, 
but  the  rank  and  file  were  naked,  free,  adorned 
only  with  their  spears,  war-clubs  and  daggers. 

Suddenly,  from  the  summit  of  a  low  sand 
hill,  abreast  of  which  the  main  body  of  the 
Hawaiian  Alapa  had  come,  uprose  a  mighty 
form,  black  as  night  save  for  the  crimson 
helmet  on  his  head,  and  holding  a  ponderous 
spear,  twenty  feet  in  length,  in  his  right  hand. 
With  a  voice  like  the  roar  of  a  cataract,  the 
huge  warrior  shouted  to  the  astonished  hostile 
phalanx,  which  halted  by  a  common  impulse : 
"  Fly,  thieves,  plunderers !  fly  to  your  misera- 
ble moi,  and  tell  him  that  he  sneaks  in  his 
canoe  with  the  wahines,  and  dare  not  lead  his 
men  to  meet  the  wild  boars  of  Maui !  Begone, 
or  let  the  sand  be  your  graves,  and  the  heiau 
yonder  drink  your  blood  !  " 

Then,  as  Kahekili  lifted  his  spear  and  flour- 
ished it  above  his  head,  from  out  their  coverts 
sprang  a  thousand  spearmen,  with  but  a  few 
hundred  yards  between  them  and  the  advance- 
ranks  of  their  mighty  adversaries. 

With  admirable  coolness,  the  Alapa  formed 
in  serried  lines  to  meet  the  onset.  Before  the 
warriors  of  Maui  came  near  enough  to  hurl 
their  spears,  a  shower  of  javelins  fell  upon 
them,  flinging  the  foremost  in  great  numbers 
to  the  ground  and  causing  those  behind  to  fall 


50  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

over  them,  so  fierce  and  headlong  was  the  at- 
tack. 

Then  in  savage  fashion,  man  to  man  and  foe 
to  foe,  in  grapple  and  in  dagger-thrust,  the 
braves  of  Hawaii  rushed  on  the  assailants  who 
had  been  thrown  into  momentary  confusion. 
Behind  these  stalwart  Hawaiian  chiefs  pressed 
their  followers,  throwing  spears  and  javelins 
at  the  rear  ranks  of  the  warriors  of  Maui,  while 
with  diabolical  yells  and  a  simultaneous  move- 
ment, the  entire  body  of  the  eight  hundred 
rushed  upon  the  dead,  the  dying  and  the  liv- 
ing, giving  no  quarter  to  the  wounded,  slaugh- 
tering and  trampling  on  their  foes ;  as  wild  a 
tumult  of  carnage  as  was  ever  wrought  on 
plain  or  in  valley  of  these  islands,  more  fruit- 
ful in  bloody  frays  than  they  were  lovely  in 
crimson  and  carnation  flowers. 

Small  chance  then  for  the  display  of  per- 
sonal courage  or  skill ;  it  was  a  mette  rather 
than  individual  passages  at  arms;  the  Alapa 
shook  off  their  assailants  as  infuriated  tigers 
shake  off  packs  of  hounds  ;  and  they  were  rush- 
ing so  furiously  after  the  fugitives,  that  no  one 
of  them  perceived  the  approach,  stealthily  as 
prowling  panthers,  of  another  band  of  spear- 
men coming  upon  them  from  the  rear. 

These  new  foemen  had  risen,  as  it  were,  out 
of  the  sands  of  the  desert,  to  strike  them  from 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.          51 

behind  before  they  could  recover  from  their 
first  great  effort  against  the  unexpected  as- 
sault in  front.  The  Alapa  had  hurried  for- 
ward too  heedlessly  in  the  flush  of  their  suc- 
cess, when  their  wary  antagonists  fell  upon 
their  flank  and  buried  spears  and  javelins  in 
the  back  of  many  a  warrior  who  could  have 
met  and  parried  the  weapons  easily  if  fighting 
face  to  face. 

Not  yet,  however,  were  the  giants  of  Hawaii 
overcome  or  vanquished.  Nearly  the  whole 
force  of  Kahekili  was  needed  to  destroy  these 
war-seasoned  veterans.  The  air  was  filled 
with  flying  spears  and  javelins.  War-clubs  de- 
scended on  the  heads  and  shoulders  of  the  com- 
batants like  hammers  upon  the  anvil.  When 
darts  and  spears  failed,  and  the  short  sword  or 
dagger  was  broken,  the  mighty  champions 
grappled  in  deadly  struggle,  often  falling  to- 
gether in  death  on  the  sand  slippery  with 
blood. 

It  was  not  a  brief  conflict ;  hour  after  hour 
passed,  and  it  was  noon  before  the  frenzied 
combat  ended.  No  warrior  of  the  Alapa 
wavered  or  fled.  Two  of  them  were  somehow 
pushed  out  into  the  plain  in  the  rear  of  the 
combatants,  and  seeing  no  reinforcements 
coming  up  the  valley  and  with  no  chance  left  to 
ward  off  absolute  annihilation  of  the  Hawai- 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


ians,  they  left  the  field  as  a  shout  of  triumph 
and  the  cry  "  Beaten,  beaten !  "  went  up  to 
heaven.  These  two  were  the  only  ones  of  the 
proud  eight  hundred  to  carry  the  news  back 
to  the  Hawaiian  host. 

During  the  progress  of  the  terrible  battle 
the  warriors  in  reserve  and  their  chiefs  could 
scarcely  restrain  themselves  from  rushing  into 
the  conflict.  Had  not  the  command  of  the 
king  been  absolute  and  the  penalty  of  diso- 
bedience death,  it  would  have  been  impossible 
for  the  chiefs  to  hold  back  their  men.  They 
became  more  and  more  furious,  and  raged 
about  the  camp  like  caged  tigers.  Their  thirst 
for  blood  and  their  desire  to  join  the  fray 
made  them  frantic.  Their  cries  and  impreca- 
tions were  fearful,  as  they  stamped  and  bran- 
dished their  spears  and  clubs.  Finally,  when 
they  saw  the  last  of  the  Alapa  sinking  on  the 
ground,  the  tabu  having  come  to  an  end,  they 
rushed  down  among  the  victorious  Mauians 
and  danced  over  the  wounded  and  the  slain, 
utterly  beside  themselves. 

Hookama,  as  one  of  the  reserved  contingent, 
had  no  choice  during  the  battle  except  to  re- 
main passive.  With  other  young  chiefs  in 
the  reserve,  he  stood  apart  and  viewed  the 
scene,  quivering  with  excitement.  When  the 
battle  was  over,  he  remained  apart,  for  he  felt 


THE  BA  TTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.  53 

a  new  sensation,  almost  amounting  to  repul- 
sion, as  the  fight  seemed  to  him  like  a 
slaughter  of  brave  men  caught  in  a  trap.  An 
ambuscade  was  a  kind  of  warfare  hitherto  un- 
known to  him,  and  from  that  hour  he  hated 
Kahekili,  the  king  of  Maui,  with  his  whole 
soul,  looking  upon  his  hordes  as  if  they  were 
assassins. 

The  Hawaiian  army  had  lost  but  a  fraction 
of  its  force  in  the  destruction  of  the  eight  hun- 
dred. Its  king  received  the  news  with  sur- 
prise but  recovered  his  composure  as  his 
thoughts  turned  to  revenge.  Another  equally 
strong  and  brave  band  remained,  the  Piipii, 
gigantic  chiefs,  veterans,  anxious  to  avenge 
their  comrades.  Besides,  the  bulk  of  the  army 
had  not  been  in  the  battle  and  all  were  ani- 
mated with  a  frenzy  of  desire  to  meet  the  hated 
foe.  The  priests  went  among  the  warriors,  urg- 
ing them  to  fight  with  courage  and  declared 
the  omens  from  the  gods  propitious. 

In  the  camp  of  Kahekili  there  was  great  re- 
joicing-over  the  destruction  of  the  renowned 
Alapa,  even  though  the  victory  had  cost  the 
lives  of  many  braves,  and  not  one  of  the  eight 
hundred  had  fallen  into  their  hands  to  be 
offered  alive,  the  most  acceptable  sacrifice  to 
the  gods.  The  king's  slaves  cleared  the  battle- 
field of  the  bodies  of  his  slain.  His  wounded 


54  KELEA  :   THE  SURF-RIDER. 

were  carried  to  the  village  of  Wailuku,  or  laid 
beside  the  Waikapu  stream  where  the  cool 
water  from  the  hills  assuaged  their  sufferings. 

During  the  evening,  after  the  battle,  the 
warriors  of  Oahu,  led  by  their  king  Kahahana, 
arrived  from  Molokai  and  were  assigned  their 
quarters.  The  king  received  his  subject,  Hook- 
ama,  very  cordially.  This  king  was  a  young 
man,  amiable  and  brave,  but  weak  as  an  adminis- 
trator in  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom,  over  which 
he  had  been  placed  by  Kahekili,  his  brother-in- 
law.  He  had  noticed  Hookama  during  recent 
events  at  Oahu  and  had  conceived  a  high  idea 
of  his  ability  and  courage.  As  the  adopted 
son  of  Numuku,  who  was  staunch  and  loyal, 
the  youth  had  often  been  at  the  royal  house. 
Especially  after  his  last  exploit  as  a  scout,  the 
king  took  a  strong  liking  to  him  and  showed 
him  great  favor  at  court. 

He  now  made  a  confidant  of  him,  and  treated 
him  more  as  a  companion  than  a  subject,  hav- 
ing learned  the  secret  of  his  exalted  rank ;  a 
secret  known  only  to  himself  and  Numuku, 
Hookama  having  no  knowledge  of  it  whatever. 

The  two  friends  were  talking  over  the  bat- 
tle together  when  they  observed  a  warrior 
climbing  up  to  the  crest  where  they  stood. 
The  king  at  once  recognized  the  royal  moi  of 
Maui,  Kahekili,  to  whom  he  presented  Hook- 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.          55 

ama,  as  one  of  his  bravest  warriors  from  Oahu. 
The  mot  received  the  youth  with  a  courteous 
salutation. 

This  remarkable  chief's  nature  was  full  of 
contradictions.  He  was  calculating,  cruel  and 
unscrupulous,  but  when  he  wished  to  attract 
any  one  to  himself,  he  could  veil  his  craftiness 
under  a  smile  of  the  utmost  affability. 

His  personal  appearance  was  startling.  Not- 
withstanding his  conciliatory  manner  towards 
Hookama,  the  young  man  thought  he  had 
never  seen  such  a  hideous  warrior.  One  half 
of  his  face  and  body  was  tattooed  in  black 
spots,  a  color  sacred  to  the  priests  and  the 
highest  chiefs.  These  spots  gave  him  a  most 
repulsive  aspect  in  spite  of  the  brilliant  malo 
around  his  loins  and  his  feather  helmet  with 
blood-red  plumes.  Around  his  neck  was  hung 
a  hooked  ornament,  made  from  a  whale's  tooth 
and  suspended  by  braids  of  human  hair. 
Over  his  arm  was  flung  a  magnificent  feather 
cloak,  which  he  had  removed  from  his  shoul- 
ders during  his  ascent  of  the  hill. 

"  Aha  !  "  said  he  to  his  noble  brother-in-law. 
"  Your  gallant  chiefs  have  my  thanks  for  their 
prompt  response  to  my  summons.  It  is  no 
small  thing  to  come  across  the  channels  to  aid 
me  against  the  dastardly  Hawaiians.  They 
shall  see  such  a  slaughter  to-morrow  as  Oahu- 


56  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

ans  have  not  witnessed  since  they  were  driven 
from  Molokai,  when  their  king  was  sent  to 
join  the  long  procession  of  ghosts.  Pardon 
me,"  he  quickly  continued,  "  I  mean  no  dis- 
respect for  Oahuan  bravery,  but  the  sand  hills 
below  us  reminded  me  of  the  sands  of  Kawela, 
even  now  full  of  half-buried  Oahuan  bones." 

The  cunning  moi,  choking  down  more  sneer- 
ing words  that  were  almost  spoken,  then  told 
Kahahana  the  strategy  of  the  coming  battle 
and  accepted  with  ill-disguised  disdain  some 
suggestions  of  the  young  king.  Then  he  in- 
formed Kahahana  that  the  warriors  of  Oahu 
were  not  to  enter  the  field  at  the  first  onset  of 
the  Hawaiian  army.  He  did  not  really  mean 
that  they  should  fight  at  all  if  he  could  help 
it.  He  wanted  all  the  glory  of  the  victory 
for  himself  and  his  own  men. 

"  I  shall  feel  doubly  secure  of  winning  if  I 
can  rely  on  such  mighty  allies  in  case  of  need," 
said  he,  "  and  you  know,  too,  that  as  the  heir 
of  my  kingdom,  [This  was  one  of  his  treach- 
erous promises]  it  would  unnerve  me  for  the 
fight  to  think  your  royal  life  in  danger. 
But  when  I  send  you  my  messenger,  then 
spring  forth  like  valiant  sons  of  the  god 
of  war  and  drink  the  blood  of  our  common 
foe.  Till  the  message  comes,  hold  your  men 
in  check,"  and,  without  giving  the  young  king 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  SAND  HILLS.  57 

time  to  demur,  the  stalwart  chief  sprang  down 
the  slope  with  the  agility  of  a  wild  goat. 

The  disappointed  and  humiliated  king  bit 
his  lips  with  vexation,  cast  an  angry  glance  at 
the  receding  form  of  his  detested  superior  and, 
muttering :  "  Why  did  he  summon  me,  if  not 
to  fight  ?  "  went  back  to  his  camp-tent,  leaving 
Hookama  to  his  own  reflections. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SAVAGE  CHIVALRY. 

THE  first  streaks  of  the  morning  lighted  up 
the  eastern  sky  as  the  thousands  of  fierce  Ha- 
waiians  set  out  on  the  march  which  the  grand 
council  of  chiefs  had  decided  upon.  Many  of 
their  wives  accompanied  them,  with  calabashes 
and  food.  Some  of  these  women  fought  that 
day  near  their  husbands,  shielding  them  by 
parrying  hostile  spears,  or  even  hurling  javelins 
at  the  foe.  Many  a  brave  woman  is  celebrated 
in  the  annals  of  Hawaii  for  her  prowess  in  the 
field. 

The  wily  Kahekili  again  disposed  his 
warriors  in  a  partial  ambuscade,  the  reinforce- 
ments from  Oahu  being  held  in  reserve,  as  he 
had  said.  But  the  Hawaiians  were  not  easily 
entrapped  a  second  time.  Cautiously  and 
slowly  they  marched  across  the  sandy  levels  of 
the  isthmus.  When  they  arrived  near  to  the 


SAVAGE  CHIVALRY.  59 

army  of  Maui,  a  herald  was  sent  forward,  with 
a  convoy  of  picked  warriors,  while  the  main 
body  halted,  awaiting  a  movement  from  the 
enemy. 

Kahekili  this  time  met  the  herald  and, 
surrounded  by  a  strong  body-guard,  showed 
his  black  side  to  the  messenger  and  assured 
him  that  the  ovens  of  Maui  were  already 
heated  to  roast  the  Hawaiian  chiefs  alive. 
To  this  the  herald  was  about  to  reply  when 
the  leader  of  the  escort,  in  a  great  rage,  with  the 
fury  of  a  whirlwind,  hurled  a  massive  spear  at 
the  king,  who  dodged  and  left  the  weapon 
sticking  in  the  sand. 

Then  throwing  his  own  ponderous  spear, 
which  was  caught  by  his  opponent,  he  calmly 
turned  and  took  the  weapon  behind  him,  say- 
ing, as  he  tried  its  point  and  weight :  "  A  fair 
bargain,  my  alii!  Now  for  the  test."  Im- 
mediately waving  the  spear  high  above  his 
head,  from  the  plain  behind  him  that  part  of 
his  army  which  was  not  in  ambush  rushed  for- 
ward to  the  attack. 

The  shock  between  the  foremost  ranks  of 
of  the  two  armies  was  terrific.  Now  began 
a  battle  in  the  true  Hawaiian  way,  hand 
to  hand.  The  valley  was  wide  enough  for 
thousands  to  find  room  to  engage  in  personal 
contests.  Chiefs  stepped  forward  and  chal- 


60  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

lenged  other  chiefs.  Then  chief  sprang  to 
help  chief.  The  war-club  and  bone  dagger 
came  into  play.  The  retainers  of  the  noble 
combatants  crowded  each  other  and  fought 
hand  to  hand  like  their  masters.  The  air  was 
full  of  flying  weapons.  Cries  and  imprecations 
were  heard  on  every  side.  The  tumult  became 
as  the  noise  of  the  surf  on  a  rocky  shore.  A 
body  of  slingers,  with  stones  weighing  a  pound, 
plied  their  whizzing  volleys  like  hailstones  on 
their  enemies,  while  the  mountains  echoed 
back  shouts  and  war  cries. 

The  Hawaiians  gained  a  slight  advantage. 
They  were  driving  the  enemy  back  step  by 
step,  a  mighty  force  pressing  upon  the  front 
ranks  and  reinforcing  their  onset.  Suddenly, 
from  the  sand  hills,  what  seemed  to  be  another 
army  appeared  as  if  rising  out  of  the  ground. 

Astonished  but  undaunted,  the  Hawaiian 
chiefs  in  command  gave  the  signal  to  spread 
out  the  front  ranks  that  the  warriors  in  the 
rear  might  come  on  and  meet  the  charge  of 
this  additional  force.  Then,  with  hoarse 
voices,  the  disciplined  Hawaiian  legion,  the 
Piipii,  rushed  to  the  front  through  the  opening, 
to  receive  the  wild  warriors  of  Maui,  coming 
down  like  an  avalanche  from  their  hiding 
places. 

Great  deeds  of  valor  were  done  that  day,  on 


SAVAGE  CHIVALRY.  61 

both  sides.  The  combat  waged  hour  after 
hour.  It  appeared  as  if  neither  side  would 
yield  until  both  were  annihilated.  Finally  the 
tide  turned  a  little  in  favor  of  the  Hawaiians. 
Kahekili  was  himself  well  nigh  spent  with  his 
terrible  work  of  hewing  down  whole  ranks  of 
the  enemy.  He  sent  therefore  a  messenger, 
at  this  juncture,  to  the  king  of  Oahu,  and  the 
eager  warriors  of  his  ally  leaped  into  the  field 
and  retrieved  the  fortunes  of  the  day. 

The  Hawaiians  did  not  flee,  but  after  hun- 
dreds of  the  bravest  fell  on  both  sides  there 
was  a  lull  in  the  conflict,  many  exhausted 
warriors  throwing  themselves  on  the  ground, 
and  others  helping  the  wounded  from  the 
gory  field. 

The  women  went  among  the  warriors,  offer- 
ing them  food  and  water.  The  wives  of  the 
dead  lifted  up  their  voices  in  shrill,  wailing 
cries,  while  the  sufferers  stoically  bore  the 
pain  of  their  dreadful  wounds.  It  was  a 
shocking  sight.  Wounds  on  naked  bodies 
looked  ghastly  and  gaping. 

Hookama  had  rushed  in  with  the  warriors 
of  Oahu  and  had  fought  at  the  side  of  his 
king,  defending  him  and  at  the  same  time 
engaging  many  a  chief  in  desperate  conflict. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  battle,  the  young 
brave  singled  out  a  herculean  chief,  who  was 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


unwounded  but  apparently  much  wearied  with 
his  tremendous  efforts  to  save  the  day  for  the 
Hawaiians.  Taking  with  him  a  small  band  of 
the  Oahuans,  Hookama  determined  to  capture 
this  warrior  alive,  as  a  prisoner  of  war. 

Calling  loudly  to  the  hostile  chief  to  de- 
fend himself,  as  island  warriors  were  wont  to 
challenge  their  equals,  and  followed  by  his 
band,  he  hurried  into  the  fighting  crowd  and 
threw  his  spear  with  great  force  at  the  chief, 
who  proved  to  be  no  less  a  personage  than  the 
chieftain  in  command  of  a  large  part  of  the 
Hawaiian  army.  He  was  the  famous  giant  of 
Kona,  who  had  pressed  alone  far  into  the 
ranks  of  the  foe. 

The  grim  old  veteran  smiled  as  he  caught 
the  spear  and  bade  his  youthful  adversary  not 
to  court  an  untimely  death.  Then,  as  Hook- 
ama advanced  a  little  in  front  of  his  own 
men,  the  gigantic  hero  hurled  back  the  spear 
with  terrific  swiftness,  its  point  grazing  the 
shoulder  of  the  impetuous  youth,  who  dodged 
just  in  time  and  escaped  with  a  mere  scratch. 

The  two  men  simultaneously  seized  their 
long  daggers  and  for  a  moment  it  seemed  that 
the  younger  must  be  instantly  slain  by  his 
huge  opponent.  But  Hookama  was  fresher 
and  his  skill  with  the  knife  was  greater  than 
the  chief  surmised. 


SAVAGE  CHIVALRY.  63 

Making  a  feint  as  if  to  strike  in  front, 
Hookama,  with  wonderful  agility,  sprang  to 
one  side  as  the  giant  thrust  his  dagger  forward, 
and,  parrying  the  blow,  struck  at  the  chief 
from  the  left  a  blow  which  would  have  reached 
a  vital  part,  had  not  the  youth's  foot  slipped 
on  the  bloody  sand,  causing  him  to  sink  partly 
to  his  knees,  leaving  his  antagonist  unhurt. 

Quick  as  thought,  the  veteran  grasped  the 
heavy  butt  of  a  broken  lance  from  the  ground 
and  raised  it  to  give  a  blow  downward.  The 
young  warrior  would  have  passed  to  the  land 
of  ghosts,  had  not  his  own  warriors,  unwilling 
to  see  such  a  termination  of  the  duel,  rushed 
in  upon  the  mighty  chief,  front  and  rear  ;  a 
movement  which  gave  Hookama  time  to  fall 
on  the  ground,  lessening  the  full  force  of  the 
giant's  stroke. 

As  it  was,  the  blow  stunned  the  youth  and 
he  lay  motionless  on  the  sand,  while  the 
Hawaiian  battled  with  the  Oahuans,  calling  on 
some  of  the  few  men  of  his  own  band  to  hurry 
to  his  assistance.  These  few  Hawaiians  made 
a  desperate  effort  to  rescue  their  chief,  but 
were  cut  down  to  a  man,  notwithstanding  the 
death-dealing  blows  of  the  giant  himself,  by 
which  several  of  the  Mauians  were  slain.  It 
would  have  fared  hard  with  the  doughty  war- 
rior, had  not  another  chief  of  Hawaii,  seeing 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


his  imminent  peril,  cut  his  way,  with  several 
of  his  body-guard,  and  just  in  the  nick  of  time 
added  a  new  element  to  the  conflict. 

With  renewed  strength  the  giant  seconded 
his  brave  rescuer's  onset  and,  together  with 
the  remnant  of  Hawaiians  that  survived,  the 
two  hewed  their  way  through  the  enemy  and 
escaped.  Is  not  this  rescue  of  Kekuhaupio, 
the  mighty  Hawaiian,  by  the  great  Kameha- 
meha,  who  afterwards  subdued  all  the  islands 
and  became  Lord  of  the  whole  group,  cel- 
ebrated in  song  by  the  bard  Keaulumoku  in 
the  legends  of  the  land? 

Hookama,  more  dead  than  alive,  was  carried 
to  the  rear  by  two  braves  of  Oahu.  The  blow 
he  had  received  on  the  head  proved  a  severe 
one,  injuring  him  so  much,  that  he  fell  into  a 
stupor  from  which  it  seemed  impossible  to 
arouse  him. 

The  king's  own  medicine-men,  by  his  orders, 
applied  all  their  art  to  relieve  him.  They 
used  many  remedies  and  the  most  approved 
incantations.  They  prayed  to  numerous  gods, 
but  without  avail.  The  hut  to  which  Hook- 
ama was  carried  was  filled  with  the  vile  odor 
of  burning  offal  to  propitiate  the  inferior 
deities  Every  device  was  employed  to  expel 
the  bad  spirit,  which  had  entered  the  body  of 
the  warrior  and  had  caused  all  the  mischief. 


SAVAGE  CHIVALRY.  65 

The  great  kahuna  hoonoho  (a  famous  spiritual- 
istic exerciser),  sought  to  reveal  the  "  familiar  " 
that  had  bewitched  the  patient. 

It  was  well  that  Hookama  had  an  iron  con- 
stitution ;  otherwise,  the  extraordinary  per- 
formances in  his  hut  would  have  speedily  ex- 
pelled the  spirits  that  tormented  him,  along 
with  his  own,  and  our  story,  so  far  as  he  is 
concerned  in  it,  would  have  to  follow  him  to 
the  realm  of  Kane,  the  "  hidden  land,"  where 
the  good  departed  wander  in  a  beautiful  island, 
abounding  in  cocoa-nut  groves  and  all  sensuous 
delights.  This  indeed  would  not  have  been 
unwelcome  to  the  kahunas  in  charge,  inasmuch 
as  burial  services  of  chiefs  always  afforded 
them  a  richer  harvest.  With  a  newly-departed 
spirit  of  a  chief,  slain  in  battle,  they  might 
keep  it  in  their  service,  by  preserving  the 
bones  of  its  earthly  tenement  in  a  secret  place. 
They  had  already  matured  their  plans,  with 
this  end  in  view,  making  offerings  to  the  gods 
in  advance,  that  no  obstacle  might  be  put  in 
their  way. 

Two  days  having  passed,  after  a  day  of  an 
unusual  amount  of  incantation  and  perfumery 
in  his  hut,  Hookama  gave  signs  which  the 
kehunas  interpreted  as  positively  preceding 
death.  He  suddenly  relapsed  into  absolute 
unconsciousness  and,  with  eyes  closed,  was 


66  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

growing  rigid  ;  his  fists  were  clenched  and  his 
limbs  drawn  up  tightly. 

Word  was  sent  to  Kahahana,  the  friendly 
king  of  Oahu,  who  came  at  once  and  stood  be- 
side the  young  alii,  gazing  sadly  on  the  hand- 
some face  which  had  greeted  him  with  genial 
smiles.  The  king  lost  some  of  his  best  war- 
riors in  the  recent  battle,  but  was  more  deeply 
moved  by  the  expected  death  of  Hookama, 
for  whom  a  great  affection  had  sprung  up  in 
his  heart  and  from  whom  he  hoped  to  have 
sympathy  and  aid  in  the  days  of  danger  which 
he  foresaw  with  deep  anxiety.  Turning  away, 
he  gave  orders  that  funeral  rites  be  given  to 
the  brave  warrior,  as  soon  as  death  came,  much 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  medicine-men  and 
their  attendants. 

The  great  battle  having  been  at  last  decided 
in  favor  of  the  king  of  Maui,  the  Hawaiians, 
bearing  with  them  their  wounded,  retired 
to  their  canoes  in  Maalaea  Bay,  and  the 
chiefs  in  council  learned  from  the  priests  that 
their  defeat  was  the  will  of  the  gods,  to  which 
it  would  be  wise  to  bow,  inasmuch  as  there 
was  no  help  for  it  and  not  enough  of  an  army 
left  in  fighting  condition  to  renew  the  strug- 
gle. 

A  treaty  was  arranged  between  victor  and 
vanquished,  in  which  the  king  of  Hawaii  agreed 


SAVAGE  CHIVALRY.  67 

to  leave  Kahekili  in  peaceable  possession  of 
his  kingdom  on  the  island  of  Maui.  This 
solemn  promise,  ratified  by  the  sacrifice  of 
human  beings,  the  king  of  Hawaii  kept 
as  faithfully  as  a  believer  in  the  Hawaiian 
deities  usually  kept  his  compacts  ;  but,  being 
a  revengeful  pagan,  he  forgot  to  keep  it,  as 
soon  as  he  was  strong  enough  to  attempt 
another  raid. 

The  battle  of  the  Sand  Hills  was  the  death- 
blow of  the  proud,  superior  race  which  formed 
the  real  nobility  of  the  land.  "  Their  brawn 
and  brain  and  vitality  typified  the  enduring 
forces  in  an  otherwise  shattered  and  enfeebled 
race.  Every  one  of  them  was  needed  in  the 
struggle  of  the  nation  to  survive.  It  was  a 
fine  example  of  heroism,  but  at  an  awful  cost 
to  the  physical  stamina  and  fibre  of  an  already 
stricken  race." 


CHAPTER    VI. 

KELEA   IN  THE   VALE   OF   IAO. 

A  MESSENGER  having  brought  to  Waihee 
the  news  of  the  first  day's  victory  over  the 
Hawaiians,  the  maiden  Kelea  managed  to 
escape  the  vigilance  of  the  old  priest.  Taking 
two  of  her  wahines  with  her,  she  climbed  the 
hills  and  forded  the  streams  between  Waihee 
and  Wailuku,  where  at  last  she  found  her 
father,  unhurt  but  bewailing  the  loss  in  battle 
of  several  of  his  bravest  warriors. 

He  was  angry  with  Kelea  for  coming,  but 
having  no  one  whom  he  could  spare  to  send 
back  with  her,  he  told  her  to  keep  with  the 
women  till  the  next  day's  fight  was  over. 

Kelea's  mother  had  died  some  years  pre- 
viously, and  the  girl  was,  in  a  way,  at  the  head 
of  her  father's  household.  At  the  women's 
camp,  she  was  her  own  mistress  and  had  her 
own  maids.  The  women  told  her  grewsome 


KELEA  IN  THE  VALE  OF  IAO.  69 

stories  of  the  fight.  She  assisted  them  in 
caring  for  the  wounded,  and  then  withdrew 
with  herattendants  to  a  hut  which  she  selected, 
on  an  eminence  back  of  the  main  camp,  where 
she  was  not  likely  to  be  disturbed.  She  ob- 
tained a  tabu  pole  from  her  father  and  placed 
it  before  her  door. 

Kelea  was  named  for  a  beautiful  and  capri- 
cious sister  of  an  ancient  king  of  Maui.  Hawai- 
ian legends  tell  of  this  royal  maiden,  as  a  way- 
ward princess,  petted  and  spoiled,  but  the 
most  graceful  and  daring  surf-swimmer  in  the 
kingdom.  Her  admirers,  who  watched  and 
applauded  her  bold  sport  in  the  waves,  were 
half  inclined  to  believe  that  she  was  the  friend 
of  some  water  god,  a  supposition  more  credible 
because  of  her  rejection  of  many  suitors. 

She  was  finally  carried  off  as  the  bride  of  a 
chief  of  Oahu,  and  her  adventures  on  that 
island  form  a  very  romantic  story.  This 
volatile  woman  was  a  remote  ancestress  of 
Kelea,  whose  father  was  also  allied  with  the 
ancient  aliis  of  Maui. 

The  Kelea  of  our  story  was  not  a  delicate 
beauty  like  Pu'  Aloha.  She  had  a  profusion  of 
raven  black  hair  which  came  low  over  her  fore- 
head and  when  unbound  fell  below  her  waist. 
Her  eyes  were  full  and  lustrous ;  their  dark 
pupils  could  grow  soft  when  her  heart  was 


70  KELEA  :   THE  SURF-RIDER. 

touched  ;  her  skin  was  light  brown  and  surpass- 
ingly smooth ;  her  nose  was  regular  in  shape 
and  her  lips  full ;  she  bore  herself  like  a  stately 
queen  when  she  walked,  and  her  robust  bloom 
made  her  a  conspicuous  figure  among  the 
maidens  of  her  tribe. 

But  she  was  haughty,  imperious  and  capri- 
cious ;  often  unmanageable  even  by  her  father. 
He  seldom  could  divert  her  from  a  purpose  on 
which  she  had  fixed  her  will.  Not  over- 
refined  in  language,  she  could  fascinate  by  her 
words  when  she  chose,  and  was  as  captivating 
in  manners  towards  her  favorites  as  she  was 
passionate  and  pitiless  to  those  who  thwarted 
her  plans  or  wishes. 

She  was  a  fair  type  of  the  higher  class  young 
women  of  her  race.  Her  character  was  the 
result  of  many  pagan  generations,  with  no  re- 
straining influences  except  the  customs  of  her 
people,  and  no  elevating  conditions  except  a 
certain  superiority  which  was  the  hereditary 
quality  of  birth.  The  tone  of  life  among  the 
people  of  Maui  was  somewhat  lower  than  that 
of  the  other  islands.  The  men  were  more 
ferocious  and  the  women  more  perverse  and 
loose  in  manners. 

Kelea's  main  reason  for  coming  to  the 
camp  was  to  obtain  another  meeting  with 
Hookama.  She  believed  him  capable  of 


KELEA  IN  THE  VALE  OF  IAO. 


doing  wonders  as  a  warrior  and  wished  to  wit- 
ness his  prowess.  She  was  impatient  of  the 
king's  command  that  the  men  of  Oahu  be 
held  in  reserve,  but  the  bold  rush  of  the  allied 
warriors  towards  the  close  of  the  battle  roused 
all  the  wild  passions  of  her  nature,  and  with 
the  women  she  entered  the  bloody  field  to 
watch  the  conflict  from  a  nearer  point. 

When  at  last  the  encounter  between 
Hookama  and  the  gigantic  warrior  of  Hawaii 
ended  with  the  collapse  of  the  young  alii,  on 
whom  her  eyes  had  been  fastened  with  admi- 
ration, she  could  not  restrain  herself,  but 
rushed  into  the  middle  of  the  ensanguined 
field ;  met  the  men  who  were  carrying 
Hookama  away,  and  followed  them,  unnoticed 
in  the  hurry  and  horror  of  the  hour. 

While  the  youth  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
kehunas,  Kelea  hovered  about  the  vicinity, 
hiding  in  the  bushes  of  the  crags  above  the 
hut.  She  watched  every  movement ;  she 
even  tried  to  bribe  the  guards  to  admit  her 
into  the  house.  They  only  railed  at  her  and 
bade  her  begone. 

At  last,  on  the  day  that  the  king  came  and 
found  Hookama  apparently  near  his  end,  she 
followed  him  and  falling  at  his  feet,  confessed 
her  rank ;  related  to  him,  as  she  passionately 
wept,  a  false  tale  of  love  and  adventure,  and 


72  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

entreated  him  by  all  the  gods  to  let  her  carry 
the  inanimate  form  of  her  lover  up  to  the 
sacred  rock  in  the  vale  of  lao,  where  he  might 
die  in  sight  of  the  mausoleum  of  the  deified 
chiefs. 

She  also  told  him  of  a  small  house,  where 
some  priests  had  lived  near  the  sacred  shrine, 
but  which  was  now  unoccupied,  and  she 
promised,  as  she  clasped  his  knees  in  the  agony 
of  her  entreaty,  that  if  Hookama  died,  she 
would  deliver  his  body  to  the  kehunas  for  the 
rites  of  burial  worthy  of  an  alii. 

The  king  was  touched  by  her  indifference  to 
every  consideration  except  that  which  was 
prompted  by  her  love,  and  the  same  night 
sent  Hookama  in  a  litter  to  the  place  Kelea 
had  described.  He  himself  went  with  the 
bearers  and  met  the  girl,  who  with  two  of  her 
wahines  were  found  waiting  at  the  house  above 
the  valley. 

Every  preparation  had  been  made  for  the 
sufferer's  comfort :  the  couch  of  mats  was  un- 
derlaid with  dry  moss  ;  calabashes  with  food, 
kukui-\\\\t  torches  and  hangings  of  tapa,  with 
other  needful  articles,  had  been  provided.  The 
wealthiest  chief  could  have  added  nothing. 

Kelea  had  festooned  the  hut  with  flowers 
and  there  were  mats  on  the  floor,  a  great  lux- 
ury. These  evidences  of  loving  care  made  a 


KELEA  IN  THE  VALE  OF  IAO.  73 

deep  impression  on  the  mot,  and  when  the 
maiden,  after  the  bearers  were  sent  away,  sat 
down  by  the  inanimate  form  stretched  on  the 
couch,  the  sight  of  her  sorrow  brought  the 
moisture  to  his  eyes  and  he  was  in  the  mood 
to  grant  her  anything  she  desired. 

He  asked  her  if  he  could  do  more  for  her, 
and  she  said  "  A  tabu  of  the  place,  and  may  the 
gods  bless  you  forever !  "  The  request  was  in- 
stantly granted.  The  spear  which  the  moi 
carried  was  planted  before  the  door,  and  hung 
with  a  white  tapa  streamer,  thus  providing  for 
the  absolute  seclusion  and  security  of  those  in 
the  house. 

As  the  king  went  out  into  the  night,  the 
sound  of  the  waterfalls  came  up  from  the  val- 
ley and  weird  voices  were  wafted  to  his  ears  ; 
the  tops  of  the  koa  trees  rustled  in  the  breeze. 
In  the  midst  of  the  ravine  a  pinnacle  of  rock 
sentinelled  the  vale  and  its  crystal  summit 
glistened  in  the  moonbeams.  When  at  last 
the  streaks  of  the  coming  dawn  dissipated 
the  gloom  of  the  night,  the  moi  felt  himself 
drawn,  in  deeper  sympathy  than  ever,  towards 
the  two  lovers  as  he  supposed  them  to  be. 
Again  entering  the  grass  hut,  to  his  amazement 
and  great  joy  he  found  Hookama  sleeping;  an 
unquiet  sleep,  but  with  renewed  pulse  and 
a  regular  beating  of  the  heart. 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


The  wahines  had  gently  lomi-lomied  his  im- 
passive body,  arousing  it  to  sensitiveness  and 
a  better  circulation.  A  kukui-n\&  torch  gave 
its  feeble  light,  enabling  the  moi  to  observe 
the  favorable  change  and  also  to  see  Kelea's 
graceful  form,  kneeling  by  the  bed  of  mats, 
holding  the  youth's  hand  in  her  own.  A  smile 
of  grateful  pleasure  lighted  up  her  face  as  she 
whispered  her  thanks  to  him  and  to  the  god- 
dess Lilinoe  of  Haleakala,  her  patron  deity. 
Repeating  his  wish  to  hear  often  from  the 
patient,  Kahahana  took  his  way  down  the 
path,  with  a  lighter  step  and  a  more  tranquil 
heart. 

The  valley  of  lao,  on  the  island  of  Maui,  is 
among  the  most  romantic  gorges  for  which 
this  isle  is  famous.  On  the  western  end  of 
Maui,  (the  handle  of  the  trowel,  as  seen  on  the 
map),  it  lies  directly  west  of  the  Wailuku  pass  ; 
the  valley,  broad  as  its  opening,  gradually  be- 
comes narrow  and  the  lao  river  follows  its 
tortuous  course  between  palis  (precipices)  4,000 
feet  in  height.  Stupendous  peaks  loom  up  to 
a  loftier  elevation,  their  tops  in  the  clouds. 

Mauna  Eke  is  the  name  given  to  the  circular 
range  in  the  bosom  of  which  lies  the  valley, 
whose  sides,  moistened  with  mists  and  trick- 
ling streams,  are  perennially  green.  Ferns 
and  convolvuli  adorn  the  precipices  ;  shining 


KELEA  IN  THE  VALE  OF  IAO.  75 

leaves,  delicately  stemmed,  tremble  and  gleam 
with  every  breath  of  wind. 

Through  the  opening  to  this  romantic  valley, 
a  pathway  with  a  southern  trend  leads  upward, 
till  the  traveller  emerges  above  the  palis. 
This  path,  following  the  irregular  sides  of 
the  cliffs,  and  climbing  over  crater-hills  where 
the  lava  once  flowed,  finally  comes  out  at  the 
Olowalu  pass,  on  the  leeward  side  of  Maui. 
Thence  it  descends  to  the  coast,  at  a  point 
seven  or  eight  miles  from  Lahaina,  an  import- 
ant village  where  the  king  of  Maui  kept  his 
court  and  harbored  his  canoes. 

This  rough  and  toilsome  road  was  the  near- 
est route  from  Wailuku,  where  the  battle  was 
fought,  to  the  southeast  coast  of  the  island, 
and  the  pass  nearest  Wailuku  was  the  scene  in 
after  years  of  a  terrific  conflict,  in  which  war- 
riors climbed  the  path  and  clasped  their  foes, 
to  hurl  them,  or  be  hurled  with  them,  into  the 
abyss  below. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A   MIDNIGHT  ASSAULT. 

IT  was  at  the  close  of  a  calm,  bright  after- 
noon, two  days  after  Hookamawas  brought  to 
the  vale  of  lao,  that  Kelea  sat  near  the  brink 
of  the  pali,  in  front  of  the  grass  house  where 
Hookama  was  still  lying  in  a  condition  of 
semi-unconsciousness.  With  her  two  wahines, 
she  was  weaving  wild  flowers  into  garlands, 
now  and  then  tossing  stones  over  the  preci- 
pice and  listening  to  the  sound  as  they 
bounded  from  the  sides  of  the  ravine.  The 
air  was  melodious  with  occasional  notes  of 
mountain  birds  and  the  music  of  falling  streams. 

Kelea  was  in  a  strange,  uncertain  mood,  and 
her  eyes  wandered  off  to  the  lofty  tower  of 
rock,  where,  detached  from  the  precipice  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  valley,  it  stood  like  a 
warder,  a  thousand  feet  in  height,  its  tapering 
top  roseate  in  the  light  of  the  declining  sun. 


A  MIDNIGHT  ASSAULT.  77 

The  half-disc  of  the  moon  traced  its  pale  out- 
line on  the  blue  sky,  suggesting  a  night  of 
serenity  and  beauty. 

Kelea's  expression,  restless  and  anxious, 
was  in  strong  contrast  with  that  of  the  maid- 
ens, her  attendants,  who  were  carelessly  happy, 
as  most  native  girls  usually  were.  Their  mis- 
tress, suddenly  fixing  her  eyes  on  the  point  of 
the  rock  where  the  sunset  glow  was  rising  to 
the  vanishing  point,  broke  the  silence,  as  if 
speaking  to  herself,  and  said  in  a  low  tone  :  "  I 
wish  I  had  not  gone  up  the  hill  this  afternoon." 

One  of  the  wahines  ventured  to  reply : 
"  You  told  us  to  stay  with  the  alii,  or  we 
would  have  gone.  Glad  I  wasn't  down  on  the 
plains.  Did  you  see  the  funeral  rites  of  the 
dead  warriors,  my  princess  ?  Horrid  things  ! 
cutting  themselves,  knocking  out  their  teeth 
after  the  war  dance  was  over — and  then  it  is 
dreadful,  the  way  they  treat  the  women  after 
the  dead  are  buried  and  they  begin  to  drink 
aw  a." 

"  Hush  !  "  replied  Kelea  ;  "  you  talk  too  loud. 
He  might  hear  us.  Come,  go  to  your  own  hut 
and  I  will  see  if  the  alii  needs  anything." 
With  that  she  led  the  way,  wreath  in  hand,  to 
the  large  grass  house  which  stood  back  from  the 
path. 

Over  the  wall  of  the  house  clambered  the  con- 


78  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

volvulus  with  its  bright  blossoms.  On  either 
side  the  door,  was  a  halapepe  bush,  with  long 
stems  of  lemon-colored  flowers.  As  Kelea  passed 
through  the  entrance  she  was  surprised  to 
find  Hookama  awake.  It  seemed  as  if  his  eyes 
were  intently  fixed  on  her  as  she  approached. 
He  appeared  like  one  wakened  out  of  too  deep 
a  slumber,  not  quite  aroused,  but  catching  a 
faint  idea  of  her  moving  form.  The  contour 
of  her  figure,  outlined  in  the  dim  light  through 
the  doorway,  was  all  that  was  discernible  ;  but 
the  glimpse  of  a  female  shape  caused  him  to 
strain  his  sight,  while  a  smile  spread  itself  over 
his  face,  which  bore  the  marks  of  a  severe 
struggle  for  existence. 

With  great  effort  he  uttered,  in  a  low  tone, 
the  words,  "  Pu'  aloha  !  oliy  oli!"  (the  flower 
of  love!  joy,  joy  !),  and  sank  back,  as  if  over- 
come by  his  endeavor,  or  by  the  emotion 
which  his  voice  expressed. 

Instantly,  Kelea,  believing  he  had  called  her 
"  the  flower  of  love,"  sprang  toward  him, 
seated  herself  at  his  side,  and  took  his  hand  ten- 
derly in  her  own.  His  eyes  sought  hers  in  a 
confused,  wistful  way,  as  if  he  would  fain  reveal 
the  fleeting  impression  which  her  coming  had 
made  upon  him  a  moment  before;  then  they 
closed,  and  he  relapsed  into  his  former  half- 
conscious  condition. 


A  MIDNIGHT  ASS  A  UL  T.  79 

She  called  her  wahines  and  they  used  all  their 
skill  in  the  lomi-lomi  process  till  it  was  too 
dark  to  see  clearly  in  the  hut.  Their  work 
seemed  to  produce  little  effect.  Hookama's 
breathing  was  more  regular,  but  he  did  not 
awake.  It  was  late  when  the  two  wahines 
flung  themselves  on  the  mats  in  their  hut, 
where  they  soon  fell  fast  asleep. 

Kelea,  torn  with  conflicting  emotions,  could 
not  sleep.  Hookama's  words  had  given  her 
new  hope,  but  now  perhaps  he  would  die. 
Was  she  lifted  into  this  great  happiness  only 
to  have  her  lover  ruthlessly  snatched  from  her? 
She  raved  against  the  gods  one  instant  and 
the  next  she  supplicated  their  favor.  Were 
the  gods  as  ugly  as  their  images,  and  wholly 
vengeful  and  implacable  ?  She  had  never 
thought  much  about  them,  except  that  they 
were  always  having  bloody  sacrifices  offered  to 
them.  One  deity  alone,  the  goddess  Lilinoe 
of  Haleakala,  appealed  to  her  because  she  had 
prayed  to  her  once  for  a  trifling  thing  which 
had  been  granted. 

After  watching  long  beside  Hookama,  she 
went  out  under  the  midnight  moon  to  cool  her 
blood,  or,  if  that  were  denied  her,  to  give  vent 
to  her  feelings  without  restraint. 

Sitting  in  the  shadows,  with  the  noise  of 
tumbling  waterfalls  in  her  ears,  and  now  and 


KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


then  the  whirr  of  a  bat  passing  through  the 
air,  she  was  sensible  only  of  her  loneliness 
and  a  dread  of  something  that  might  happen. 
The  supernatural  gave  her  no  terror,  but  it  af- 
forded her  no  solace.  The  mountain  peaks 
arose  around  her  and  the  moon  plunged 
through  the  fleecy  clouds  over  her  head,  but 
she  heeded  them  not.  Her  strong  frame 
shook  with  the  violence  of  her  emotions ; 
emotions  chiefly  of  wrath  because  of  baffled 
hopes — a  strange  gust  of  passion,  sweeping 
across  her  fiery  soul  as  the  cherished  object 
seemed  slipping  from  its  grasp. 

She  might  have  rocked  herself  till  daylight, 
uttering  her  moans  and  cries,  had  not  her  ear 
caught  the  sound  of  a  footstep  coming  near, 
down  the  path.  With  the  sound  came  the 
shadow  of  a  figure,  which  rapidly  approached 
at  a  swinging  gait  from  the  higher  ground. 
Her  first  impulse  was  to  flee,  in  order  to  con- 
ceal herself  from  a  stranger. 

Hesitating  an  instant,  it  was  too  late,  for 
stalwart  arms  enfolded  her  before  she  could 
rise,  and  she  was  forced  down  upon  the 
ground. 

The  place  she  had  taken  for  her  midnight 
vigil  was  on  the  side  of  the  rough  road  leading 
along  the  heights  and  down  through  the  pass. 
It  was  at  some  little  distance  from  the  hut, 


A  MIDNIGHT  ASS  A  VLT.  81 

which  was  now  completely  hidden  in  the 
gloom  of  the  night.  She  knew  that  wild  and 
reckless  men  traversed  these  lonely  ways  and 
made  forays  by  night  into  the  valleys,  but  she 
had  trusted  to  the  tabu  for  safety  ;  now,  her 
only  safety  lay  in  her  strength  or  her  ability 
to  outwit  the  man  who  had  come  upon  her, 
as  suddenly  as  a  landslide. 

She  was  used  to  rough  treatment  of  a  cer- 
tain sort,  and  her  muscular  strength  had  often 
vanquished,  in  rude  games,  the  young  aliis  of 
her  tribe.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  women 
of  the  islands  to  compete  with  the  young  men 
in  their  rude  sports,  both  in  surf-riding,  slid- 
ing down  the  hills  on  sledges,  and  even  in 
trials  of  brute  force.  If  her  assailant  were  alone 
she  did  not  fear  him,  and  her  instinctive  pres- 
ence of  mind,  joined  with  her  courage,  was 
equal  to  almost  any  emergency. 

Finding,  however,  that  the  sudden  assault 
was  not  as  violent  as  it  was  abrupt,  and  that 
he  was  no  churl  who  held  her  fast,  she  decided 
to  try  strategy  instead  of  strength  in  order  to 
escape. 

Laughing  saucily  in  the  man's  face,  which 
she  saw  by  the  moonlight  to  be  comely  enough 
and  youthful,  she  allowed  herself  to  remain 
passive  and  waited  for  him  to  speak.  She  had 
wound  her  mantle  of  tapa  cloth  closely  about 


82  KELEA;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

her  body  in  the  chilly  atmosphere,  and  the  sud- 
den transformation  from  intense  anguish  to  the 
need  of  self-defence,  put  her  at  once  in  full 
possession  of  her  faculties. 

She  sat  perfectly  still  so  that  the  bold  in- 
truder, seeing  that  she  offered  no  resistance 
and  that  she  could  not  rise  quickly  enough  to 
escape  him,  loosed  his  hold  and  began  to 
flatter  her ;  "  Kulia-nui  (my  beauty),"  he  said, 
and  she  started  as  if  he  had  spoken  her  own 
name  Kelea.  Then  he  came  a  little  closer  to 
her ;  began  to  praise  her  charms  and  finally 
took  hold  of  her  mantle,  as  if  he  would  unwind 
it  from  her  form.  "  Why  does  my  beauty 
watch  so  late,  like  the  owl,  if  not  in  expecta- 
tion of  a  lover  ?  "  he  asked  in  a  soft  voice,  as 
he  tried  to  unclasp  her  hands  which  clutched 
her  tapa.  Finding  her  resolute,  he  was  begin- 
ning to  put  forth  more  strength,  when  Kelea, 
with  a  look  of  supreme  indignation,  sprang 
from  the  earth  before  he  could  arrest  her  move- 
ments, and,  with  no  careful  choice  of  epithets, 
defied  him  to  touch  her  again.  She  was  in  no 
mood  for  blandishments,  bufripe  for  strenuous 
resistance.  Not  willing  to  be  cowed  by  a 
wahine,  the  young  fellow,  having  risen  to  his 
feet,  closed  in  upon  her  with  the  intention  of 
compelling  her  to  sit  down  again.  But  her 
temper  was  now  at  white  heat.  She  struggled 


A  MIDNIGHT  ASSAULT,  83 

violently  against  his  attempt.  It  soon  became 
a  contest  between  two  fairly  matched  athletes. 

Soon,  however,  the  man,  being  somewhat 
the  stronger,  was  getting  the  better  of  the 
woman,  when,  with  a  wild  cry,  she  freed  her 
right  arm  and  drew  from  the  folds  of  her  gar- 
ment a  short,  white  weapon  and  aimed  a  blow 
at  her  assailant.  He  adroitly  seized  her  arm 
by  the  wrist,  holding  her  hand  aloft,  and,  with 
his  right  arm  tightly  clasped  about  her  waist, 
succeeded  in  pushing  her  from  the  path  and  in 
the  direction  of  the  pali. 

The  frantic  woman,  seeing  the  danger,  but 
maddened  by  the  rough  usage  of  her  assailant, 
whirled  around  and  with  all  her  force  urged 
the  man  towards  the  brink  of  the  yawning 
chasm,  determined  to  push  him  backwards 
into  the  gulf,  even  if  with  him  she  must  fall  to 
meet  a  fearful  death. 

The  two  reeled  and  panted,  on  the  very  verge 
of  the  precipice.  With  the  awful  fate  threat- 
ening*them  both  in  his  mind,  the  man,  by  a 
desperate  effort,  wrested  the  weapon  from 
Kelea  and  sent  it  flying;  while  he  grappled  her 
with  both  arms  around  the  waist  and  suc- 
ceeded in  flinging  her  on  the  ground  towards 
the  path,  where  she  lay  bruised  and  half- 
stunned  by  the  violence  of  the  fall. 

Almost  breathless  from  the    struggle,  her 


KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


assailant  hardly  gave  a  second  look  at  his 
victim,  but,  muttering  to  himself  that  the  game 
was  not  worth  its  cost,  hastily  started  down  the 
pathway,  which  a  little  further  on  passed  be- 
tween two  huge  rocks,  as  if  the  ledge  at  that 
point  had  been  split  in  halves. 

Glancing  down  as  he  started,  he  saw  some- 
thing white,  glistening  in  the  moonlight. 
Without  thinking  much  about  it  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  moment,  he  stooped  and  picked  it 
up.  Fastening  it  in  his  girdle,  he  hurried  on 
and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PAAO,   THE  TRAITOR. 

THIS  ruthless  assaulter  of  Kelea  was  no  less 
a  personage  than  Paao,  the  enemy  of  Hook- 
ama.  He  had  been  hastily  despatched  by  the 
chief  Numuku,  to  carry  a  message  from  Oahu 
to  Maui,  urging  the  king  of  Oahu  to  return 
speedily  to  his  own  island,  because  of  signs  of 
rebellion  in  his  kingdom.  Numuku  was  loyal 
to  the  king  Kahahana,  and  had  been  left  by 
him  as  governor  of  Oahu  in  his  absence. 

With  a  swift  war-canoe,  manned  by  sturdy 
natives,  Paao  left  Oahu  secretly,  at  dead  of 
night,  and  landed  at  Lahaina,  the  headquarters 
of  Kahekili,  early  on  the  morning  of  the  day 
previous  to  his  appearance  on  the  pathway 
over  the  lao  valley. 

On  his  arrival  at  Lahaina  he  heard  of  the 
battle  of  the  Sand  Hills  and  that  the  king  of 
Oahu  was  still  there.  That  no  time  might  be 


86  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

lost,  he  left  his  men  and  the  canoe,  and,  instead 
of  sailing  to  Maalaea  Bay,  decided  to  cross  the 
Eke  mountain  over  the  pass.  It  was  a  labo- 
rious route,  on  the  verge  of  dizzy  precipices 
and  through  gloomy  ravines;  but  he  was 
sturdy,  and  when  the  moon  rose  he  was 
already  descending  the  eastern  slope  by  a  zig- 
zag trail,  until  at  last  he  came  upon  Kelea, 
sitting  by  the  roadside. 

He  supposed  she  was  one  of  the  native 
women,  whom  he  often  met  in  the  course  of 
his  wanderings,  and  thought  he  would  vary 
the  hardships  of  the  way  by  sporting  awhile 
with  her  in  the  moonlight.  If  he  had  known 
how  the  affair  would  end,  he  might  not  have 
essayed  the  venture,  for  he  was  something  of 
a  coward  and,  even  in  his  amours,  preferred 
an  easy  conquest  won  by  craft  to  any  danger- 
ous trifling. 

Now,  as  he  passed  through  the  rocky  defile 
into  the  moonlit  track,  after  leaving  Kelea,  he 
took  a  look  at  the  small  white  weapon  which 
he  had  mechanically  picked  up  from  the  path. 
To  his  astonishment  he  recognized  the  dagger 
which  he  had  given  Hookama.  It  set  him  to 
thinking.  "  How  did  it  come  into  that 
wahines  possession  ?  Had  she  killed  Hook- 
ama with  it,  as  he  had  abundant  proof  from 
her  reckless  courage  that  she  might  have 


PAAO,    THE  TRAITOR.  87 

done  ?  Why  was  a  girl  of  superior  rank  out 
there  alone  ?  "  he  queried,  as  he  recalled  her 
looks  and  haughty  manner.  "  And  where  was 
Hookama,  if  alive,  his  destination  being  the 
island  of  Hawaii  and  not  Maui?  " 

Busy  with  such  questions,  he  stowed  the 
dagger  away  among  the  few  articles  which  he 
had  bound  about  his  waist,  carefully  guarding 
the  poisoned  point  from  piercing  his  flesh  ; 
and  at  early  dawn  found  himself  looking  out 
over  the  village  and  a  thousand  improvised 
huts  where  the  army  of  Kahekili  was  en- 
camped. 

He  soon  reached  the  sand  hills,  where  he 
was  told  the  Oahuans  lay,  and,  being  at  once 
brought  to  the  king,  delivered  his  message. 
Kahahana  received  the  news  with  apparent 
calmness,  but  it  caused  him  intense  anxiety. 
He  had  already  found  out  the  ability  and 
arrogance  of  some  of  the  chiefs  of  his  kingdom 
of  Oahu.  Signs  of  discontent  with  his  rule 
had  showed  themselves  even  among  the  high 
chiefs  who  came  with  him  on  this  expedition 
to  Maui. 

He  therefore  hastily  called  a  council  of  his 
war-chiefs,  the  majority  being  loyal,  and  it 
was  decided  to  send  Paao  back  at  once  to 
Oahu,  to  announce  that  the  king  and  his 
troops  would  speedily  return.  The  messenger 


88  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

had  orders  also  to  say  that  the  king's  warriors 
had  turned  the  tide,  in  the  great  battle,  with- 
out losing  many  of  the  chiefs.  This  was  a 
politic  move,  to  allay  the  anxiety  of  the 
families  of  his  attendant  chiefs,  and  to  an- 
nounce the  victory  that  they  had  helped  so 
much  to  win. 

The  more  important  decision  of  the  council 
was  that  at  least  four  days  must  be  spent  at 
Wailuku,  to  allay  all  suspicion  that  a  pre- 
mature departure  was  necessary,  on  account  of 
affairs  at  home.  The  coming  of  Paao  and  the 
intelligence  he  brought  were  to  be  kept  a 
profound  secret.  He  was  to  return  immedi- 
ately by  the  way  he  had  come.  But  before 
he  left,  he  managed  to  have  a  private  inter- 
view with  Kahekili,  the  mo i  of  Maui,  to  whom 
he  told  the  whole  story.  Thus  Paao  proved 
himself  not  only  a  scoundrel  but  a  traitor. 

As  he  was  leaving  the  camp  of  the  Oahuans 
he  went  to  receive  the  last  commands  of  his 
king  and  expressed  the  utmost  loyalty  to  his 
person  and  his  cause.  Near  the  close  of  the 
interview  he  casually  alluded  to  Hookama,  as 
a  dear  friend,  and  asked  if  the  king  had  heard 
of  his  whereabouts.  Kahahana  in  reply  told 
him  of  the  young  alii 's  gallant  conduct  in  the 
battle,  his  brilliant  dash  against  the  Hawaiian 
giant,  his  severe  wound  and  the  present  hopes 
of  his  recovery. 


PAAO,  THE  TRAITOR.  89 

"Just  now,  he  is  in  lao  Valley,"  said  the 
king.  "  You  will  pass  the  house  on  your  re- 
turn." 

"  Could  I  see  him  ?  "  asked  Paao,  with  a 
sympathetic  accent. 

"  You  might  look  in  upon  him  a  moment ; 
he  lies  about  two  hours  up  the  valley,"  was 
the  response,  the  royal  speaker  having  forgot- 
ten the  tabu  spear,  which  would  preclude  even 
his  own  messenger  from  entering  the  premises. 

Early  the  next  morning,  with  two  warriors 
as  a  body  guard  to  the  head  of  the  pass,  Paao 
started  for  the  mountains.  He  was  in  high 
spirits  and  boasted  to  his  companions  of  his 
warlike  deeds  and  his  amours,  as  they  ascended 
the  Wailuku  pass.  "  Aha  !  "  he  said  to  himself 
as  they  approached  the  spot  where  he  had  en- 
countered Kelea,  "  that  girl  had  some  muscle. 
I  wonder  if  she  was  much  hurt.  What  a  superb 
form,  and  such  flashing  eyes  !  " 

Then  he  thought,  "  What  a  fine  story  I  can 
tell  about  Hookama  to  Pu'  Aloha !  She  will 
wince  when  she  hears  that  her  devoted  lover 
is  infatuated  with  a  Maui  belle  ;  the  dagger 
will  prove  it,"  and  he  switched  off  the  twigs  at 
the  side  of  the  road  with  his  staff  as  chuck- 
ling to  himself  he  strode  along. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HOOKAMA,  OFF  HIS  GUARD. 

KELEA,  after  the  brutal  assault  on  the  night 
of  her  meeting  with  Paao,  lay  half  stunned 
upon  the  bank  where  he  had  flung  her  down. 
Towards  morning,  one  of  the  wahines  in  the 
hut  awoke  and,  missing  her  mistress,  aroused 
her  companion ;  the  two  girls  then  went 
quietly  out  to  find  her.  Coming  where  the 
poor  girl  was  lying,  they  carried  her  in  and 
applied  the  lomi-lomi.  After  their  work  was 
over,  she  dozed  off  into  slumber  and,  in  an 
hour  or  two,  awoke  to  find  them  watching  by 
her  side  ;  Hookama  was  still  sleeping  soundly 
on  his  couch  of  mats. 

With  some  difficulty,  her  joints  being  stiff 
and  her  muscles  sore,  she  went  with  the  girls 
to  the  place  near  by,  where  they  were  wont  to 
bathe,  and  plunging  in  came  out  much  re- 
freshed. It  was  a  pool,  into  which  a  stream  of 


HOOKAMA,  OFF  HIS  GUARD.  91 

cool  water  flowed  with  a  rippling  sound  and 
over  which  drooped  bright  clusters  of  leaves 
and  trailing  vines.  Shut  in  by  lava  rocks,  it 
was  a  sylvan  retreat  fit  for  a  goddess,  and  as 
Kelea,  dripping  from  her  bath,  sat  on  the  moss- 
grown  bank,  while  the  wakines  dried  her  long 
hair  with  a  fold  of  soft  tapa,  she  might  well 
pass  for  the  goddess  of  the  place,  provided 
that  Hawaiian  goddesses  had  such  ample  pro- 
portions. 

It  was  a  pretty  tableau  in  that  romantic 
spot.  The  lights  and  shadows  played  through 
the  tremulous  foliage.  The  oo  breathed  a  soft 
melody  from  the  overhanging  pandanus  tree 
which,  with  its  aerial  rootlets  and  bright  red 
fruit,  gave  tropical  beauty  to  the  scene.  The 
wakines  anointed  their  mistress  with  the  sap 
of  the  hao  mixed  with  liquid  poi. 

Paddling  in  the  water  with  her  feet,  Kelea 
told  her  maidens  of  her  encounter  with  the 
stranger,  but  cautioned  them  to  say  nothing 
to  the  alii  about  the  affair.  On  returning  to 
the  house,  to  her  surprise  and  delight  she 
found  Hookama  awake  and  sensible  of  his  sur- 
roundings. 

She  startled  him  when  she  appeared.  He 
recognized  her  at  once,  and  her  unaccountable 
presence  in  this  strange  place  excited  him  so 
much  that  he  could  hardly  speak.  With  great 


KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


tact,  Kelea  quietly  informed  him  at  once  of 
the  events  since  the  battle,  dwelling  emphatic- 
ally on  the  king's  wish  that  she  should  nurse 
him  back  to  life.  He  was  too  weak  and  dazed 
to  inquire  further. 

The  girl  pressed  out  the  juice  of  some  ohelo 
berries,  added  awa  to  the  draught  and  put  it 
to  his  lips.  Then  seating  herself  by  the  couch 
she  bathed  his  hands,  face  and  breast  with 
cool  water  from  the  pool.  Looking  tenderly 
at  him  as  she  recalled  the  words,  "  Flower  of 
love,"  which  she  supposed  he  had  addressed  to 
her,  she  lifted  his  head  to  her  shoulder  as  she 
spread  his  mamo  (scarlet  cloak)  over  him,  hav- 
ing found  it  among  his  effects  that  were 
brought  to  the  hut. 

As  she  smoothed  the  bright  feathers  of  the 
garment,  her  luminous  eyes,  with  a  soft  radi- 
ance (they  were  her  one  really  beautiful  fea- 
ture) seemed  so  gentle  and  sympathetic  that 
they  were  grateful  to  Hookama's  sight ;  and 
when  she  sang  a  love-song,  while  she  stroked 
his  forehead  and  his  arms,  her  low  voice 
soothed  him  and  a  contented  smile  passed 
over  his  face,  which  Kelea  interpreted  in  her 
own  favor. 

She  was  older  by  two  years  than  Hookama, 
and  an  adept  in  all  the  artifices  which  Ha- 
waiian maids  practised  with  assiduity,  having 


HOOKAMA,  OFF  HIS  GUARD ,  93 

abundant  opportunity  owing  to  the  larger 
number  of  men  than  women  on  the  islands. 

But  now,  all  conscious  art  was  laid  aside. 
Her  affection  was  sincere,  and  when  her  raven 
locks  fell  over  Hookama's  face  as  he  rested  on 
her  shoulder,  the  thrill  which  he  felt  passing 
through  her  frame  startled  and  troubled  him, 
although  he  was  too  weak  in  body  and  in 
mind  to  resist  the  pleasing  touch  of  her  arms 
and  the  glance  of  her  tender  eyes. 

He  lay,  as  it  were,  in  dreamland,  forgetful 
of  the  past  and  unmindful  of  the  future.  His 
passive  spirit  yielded  itself  to  the  witching 
presence  and  melodious  voice  of  the  flower- 
crowned  maiden  who  knelt  at  his  side,  until  at 
noon  the  wahines  returned,  laden  with  luscious 
fruit  and  fragrant  blossoms  from  the  hills. 

The  remainder  of  the  day,  after  a  repast  to 
which  the  young  alii  brought  a  good  degree  of 
appetite,  was  passed  by  him  in  comfortable 
sleep,  Kelea  still  watching  beside  him  and 
gently  waving  her  kahili,  a  brush  of  soft, 
long  feathers  from  the  wings  of  birds. 

The  day  following,  the  dwellers  in  this  little 
grass  house  awoke  to  the  voices  of  the  water- 
falls and  the  music  of  the  wind  in  the  tree- 
tops.  It  was  one  of  the  loveliest  of  the  many 
lovely  days  in  that  land  of  semi-tropical  warmth 
and  beauty.  The  fragrance  of  the  wild  woods 


94  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

was  wafted  with  the  early  mists  from  the 
lower  chasms  and  the  peaks  sent  down  sun- 
showers,  the  spray  of  which  was  shot  through 
with  beams  of  light  forming  rainbows  on 
every  hand. 

Kelea  determined  that  Hookama  should 
enjoy  it  all  and  be  benefitted  by  it.  He  must 
be  coaxed  into  the  sunshine,  the  elixir  of  life 
for  all  Hawaiian  ills.  When  she  found  that 
he  was  willing  to  make  the  trial  and  could 
walk  slowly  with  her  assistance,  she  led  him 
to  a  sheltered  spot  just  above  the  hut,  where, 
spreading  mats,  she  made  him  recline  for  a 
sun-bath,  such  as  no  other  land  can  furnish 
more  luxuriously. 

Well  may  the  savage  refuse  the  inconven- 
ience of  clothes,  when,  in  a  climate  of  sub- 
tropical salubrity,  he  can  quicken  recovery  or 
foster  Nature's  kindly  aid  in  preventing  dis- 
ease !  He  may  live  in  a  continual  bath  of  light. 

The  Hawaiians  of  the  last  century  violated 
no  sense  of  propriety  among  themselves,  by 
the  absence  of  clothing  from  the  larger  por- 
tion of  the  body.  It  is  the  unusual  that  dis- 
turbs. More  or  less  covering  with  them  was  a 
matter  of  no  consequence.  Their  brown  skin 
was  a  covering  in  itself,  just  as  a  nude  bronze 
statue  is  differentiated  from  a  white  marble 
one.  A  savage  well  tattooed  was  a  dandy 
well  dressed. 


HOOKAMA,  OFF  HIS  GUARD.  95 

Moreover,  those  naked  islanders  fitted  into 
the  wild  scenery  of  their  land.  The  flowers  with 
which  the  women  adorned  themselves  at  all 
times,  and  their  long  flowing  hair,  matched  the 
luxuriant  vegetation.  Lying  on  the  red  earth, 
their  brown  skin  was  in  harmony  with  their 
natural  couch.  In  the  pools,  their  forms  took 
the  hue  of  the  rich  brown  of  pure,  deep  water. 
The  garlands  on  neck,  arms  and  waist  were 
the  native  substitute  for  dress,  and  the  gold 
and  crimson  helmets  and  cloaks  of  the  chiefs 
rivalled  the  gorgeous  flowering  vines  that 
hung  from  the  trees. 

There  were  few  noxious  insects  or  animals. 
Scorpions,  centipedes,  fleas  and  mosquitos  are 
pests  introduced  by  white  men.  Snakes  have 
never  been  known  on  the  islands.  Clothing, 
not  needed  to  conceal  or  protect  the  person, 
was  therefore  an  incumbrance,  except  in  higher 
localities  among  the  mountains.  Vanity 
might  endure  it,  but  neither  comfort  nor  mod- 
esty demanded  much  of  it. 

No  wonder  that  Hookama,  lying  at  full 
length,  with  only  a  malo  about  his  loins, 
stretched  his  brown  limbs  in  the  sunlight  with 
a  sigh  of  satisfaction  and  began  at  once  to  re- 
cover health  and  strength. 

The  spot,  which  Kelea  had  chosen  as  the 
sanitarium  for  her  patient,  was  a  commanding 


96  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

one,  overlooking  a  broad  expanse  of  territory, 
with  the  channel  between  Maui  and  Hawaii  in 
the  distance.  Below,  one  could  see  the  path- 
way,  winding  up  the  Wailuku  pass,  along  which 
men  and  women  were  toiling,  coming  into 
view  or  vanishing  as  they  entered  or  emerged 
from  the  many  ravines.  The  shouts  of  these 
foot  passengers  echoed  among  the  hills,  and 
ever  and  anon  spear  points  glistened  in  the  sun, 
as  bands  of  warriors  passed  along  on  their  way 
from  Wailuku  to  their  homes  on  the  southern 
coast. 

Without  disturbing  Hookama,  who  lay  in  a 
delicious  state  of  languor  with  his  eyes  closed, 
Kelea  suddenly  whispered  to  the  ufahines,  bid- 
ding them  watch  by  the  alii  and  for  no  reason 
whatever  leave  him  till  she  returned.  Putting 
about  her  the  garlands  they  had  been  weaving, 
she  descended  to  the  grass  house  and  took  her 
stand  before  the  tabu-spear  which  the  moi  of 
Oahu  had  planted  for  her  protection,  in  front  of 
the  dwelling. 

Her  quick  eye  had  detected  the  approach 
along  the  path  of  the  three  warriors,  Paao  and 
the  two  men  sent  as  his  escort  by  the  king. 
As  they  emerged  from  between  the  high  rocks, 
a  few  hundred  feet  below  the  slight  elevation 
above  the  path  on  which  the  hut  was  built, 
Kelea  straightened  her  figure  to  its  full  height, 
and  with  arms  akimbo  awaited  their  approach. 


CHAPTER  X. 
A  HAWAIIAN  MAIDEN'S  REVENGE. 

PAAO,  who  had  not  told  his  companions  of 
his  encounter  with  the  girl,  slunk  back  behind 
the  two  warriors  and  was  disposed  to  hurry 
past,  keeping  his  eyes  upon  the  ground.  He 
was  not  prepared  for  this  public  meeting  with 
his  late  antagonist,  but  intended  to  pass  the 
spot,  and  then,  bidding  the  escort  rest  awhile, 
go  back  and  see  if  he  could  find  Hookama,  or 
the  wahine.  Now,  the  sight  of  this  superb 
woman,  evidently  prepared  to  meet  him  on 
her  own  terms,  disconcerted  him  and  deprived 
him  of  his  usual  bravado  of  manner  and 
speech.  The  two  warriors  involuntarily  halted 
when  they  came  opposite  the  place  where 
Kelea  stood  and  Paao  perforce  must  delay  with 
them,  at  least  for  a  moment. 

"  Soho !  My  maikola  (contemptible  one), 
back  so  soon  ?  You  want  another  honi  (kiss) 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


from  my paJioa  (dagger)  do  you?  You  puaa 
(hog) ! "  Then  changing  her  tone,  she  drew 
herself  up,  pointed  her  finger  at  Paao  and 
cried  out :  "  Had  to  bring  a  guard  with  you, 
didn't  you  ?  to  keep  the  wahine  from  flinging 
you  this  time  safely  over  the  ravine  to  Milu 
(hell) !  Didn't  dare  come  up  alone  ?  Or,  have 
you  met  some  other  woman  on  the  plain,  who 
was  your  match  ?  Sending  you  home  with  a 
guard  to  keep  you  out  of  mischief,  eh  ?  or  to 
get  well  rid  of  a  villain  ?  Come  take  this  skirt, 
you  woman  fighter,"  and  she  whipped  off  the 
outer  fold  of  her  petticoat  and  held  it  out  to 
him,  with  a  sneer  on  her  face. 

These  biting  words  had  been  uttered  so 
rapidly  and  with  such  tormendous  force  that 
neither  Paao  nor  his  companions  could  get  in 
a  single  word  in  reply.  Then  Kelea  rapidly 
rehearsed  the  story,  to  a  group  of  passers-by 
who  crowded  around  the  three  warriors. 
When  she  came,  in  her  recital,  to  the  final 
struggle,  and,  with  violent  gesticulation  and 
vivid  mimicry,  imitated  the  brutal  attack  upon 
her  by  Paao,  pointing  at  him  as  the  hero  of  the 
fight,  the  crowd  fairly  howled  with  scorn. 

Then  suddenly  changing  from  sarcasm  to 
ridicule,  she  made  fun  of  her  late  antagonist, 
telling  him  to  go  home  and  look  up  his  ped- 
igree ;  "  Go,  feed  puppy  dogs  for  sacrifice 


A  HAWAIIAN  MAIDEN'S  REVENGE.  99 

with  the  wa/tines  !  Change  your  spear  for  a 
kahili  (fly  brush),  and  fight  girls  in  a  pan 
(skirt.)  " 

This  banter  put  the  crowd,  among  whom 
were  some  women  and  girls,  into  a  perfect 
roar  of  laughter ;  two  wa/iines,  who  had  laid 
their  burdens  on  the  ground  to  enjoy  the 
sport,  first  tittered,  then  giggled  and  finally 
rolled  on  the  earth  in  a  paroxysm  of  merri- 
ment. The  shouting  natives  then  joined 
hands  and  danced  around  the  three  warriors, 
two  of  whom  enjoyed  the  fun  amazingly, 
while  Paao,  the  laughing-stock  of  the  occasion, 
hardly  knew  how  to  look  or  what  to  do.  If 
he  ran  away,  the  gibes  that  followed  him  would 
be  harder  to  bear  than  the  jocose  sportiveness 
of  the  throng,  huddled  as  they  were  together. 

At  last,  their  waggery  nettled  him  and  he 
became  angry ;  as  they  made  themselves  still 
more  obnoxious  and  pushed  against  him  he 
handled  his  weapons  threateningly  ;  and  when, 
as  a  final  home  thrust,  Kelea  called  out  from 
the  bank  "  Luka,  luka,  (beaten,  beaten  !)  pick 
up  the  cripple,"  Paao  could  contain  himself  no 
longer,  but  broke  through  the  crowd  and 
rushed  up  the  slope  towards  Kelea,  who,  with 
the  utmost  composure  awaited  his  coming. 

Stepping  aside  as  he  approached  and  point- 
ing to  the  ta#«-spear,  she  simply  said:  "  The 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


Moi,  your  king."  The  weapon  had  been  be- 
hind her  all  the  time,  purposely  hidden  by 
her  person.  Paao,  taken  wholly  aback  by  the 
well-known,  sacred  token,  recoiled  a  step,  then 
turned  and  calling  his  companions  strode  up 
the  pathway,  foaming  with  rage,  the  crowd 
cheering  and  laughing  more  loudly  than  be- 
fore. 

As  the  three  warriors  went  out  of  sight  at 
a  bend  of  the  road,  the  natives  gathered  into 
groups  to  discuss  the  incident  and  to  mimic 
the  chief  actors  in  it ;  then  they  went  on  their 
several  ways,  some  down  the  valley,  others  up 
the  hill.  As  for  Kelea,  when  she  had  watched 
the  crestfallen  Paao  out  of  sight,  with  a  curl  of 
the  lip  betokening  the  utmost  scorn,  she  took 
her  way  up  the  rising  ground  back  of  the  hut, 
and  rejoined  Hookama  and  her  ivahines. 
They  had  heard  the  shouting,  but  supposing 
it  the  ordinary  cries  of  travellers  along  the 
path,  were  not  even  curious  to  know  what  had 
occasioned  the  hubbub. 

Paao's  troubles,  however,  were  by  no  means 
at  an  end.  The  two  warriors,  who  had  been 
selected  as  his  escort,  were  from  Waikiki,  Oahu, 
and  knew  him  well.  They  hated  him  heartily, 
as  did  most  of  the  men  who  were  his  neighbors. 
He  tried  to  explain  the  story  and  said  the 
wahine  who  had  made  such  a  fuss  about  it  was 


A  HA  WAIIAM  MAIDEffS  REVENGE.          101 

only  a  crazy  woman.  True,  he  had  met  her 
on  his  way  down  the  pass  the  other  night,  and 
she  had  accosted  him,  but  being  repulsed,  had 
flown  at  him  in  a  rage  and  he  had  been  obliged 
to  fling  her  off  rather  harshly,  to  rid  himself  of 
the  incumbrance. 

The  two  warriors  said  nothing  in  reply, 
knowing  that  Paao  had  influence  with  Nu- 
muku  their  own  powerful  chief  of  Nuuanu 
Valley ;  but  a  sly  wink,  one  to  the  other, 
showed  what  their  conclusions  were,  and  sug- 
gested some  fun  at  Paao's  expense  when  they 
returned  to  Oahu. 

As  for  Paao  himself,  he  was  completely 
mystified  by  the  presence  of  the  ta£#-spear  in 
that  place.  Could  it  be  that  the  woman  was 
one  of  the  king's  own  favorites  ?  If  so,  he 
might  get  into  serious  trouble  if  she  told  his 
chief  what  had  happened.  She  was  certainly 
of  high  birth ;  no  common  ivahine,  but  a  wo- 
man of  blood  and  spirit.  Well,  he  would 
think  it  over,  and  if  the  king  should  ask  him 
about  it  he  could  invent  a  plausible  answer. 
For  all  that,  he  was  uneasy  in  his  mind,  and 
his  journey  was  not  a  very  happy  one.  He 
was  relieved  when  the  two  warriors  left  him  at 
the  head  of  the  Olowalu  pass,  but  still  his 
thoughts  busied  themselves  with  the  events  of 
the  day,  so  galling  to  his  pride. 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


Besides,  he  was  not  sure  now  about  Hook- 
ama,  and  how  did  that  ivory  dagger  come  into 
the  girl's  possession?  He  might  not  have  the 
laugh  at  the  young  alii  after  all,  or  even  find 
it  safe  to  show  the  dagger  to  Pu'  Aloha,  much 
less  to  accuse  Hookama  of  what  he  might 
never  have  done. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  he,  half  aloud,  "  if  those 
miserable  men  who  escorted  me,  will  stop  and 
investigate  the  real  truth,  as  they  return : 
what  stories  they  will  tell  at  the  camp,  if 
they  do  !  Well,  if  it  comes  to  the  worst,  I 
can  turn  priest  and  get  even  with  all  my 
enemies !  " 

Then  he  thought  of  his  treacherous  inter- 
view with  the  king  of  Maui  and  wondered 
how  his  plotting  would  turn  out.  Trying  to 
console  himself  with  these  evil  counsels,  and 
yet  in  a  very  crestfallen  mood,  Paao  reached 
Lahaina,  went  aboard  his  war-canoe  and  sailed 
for  Oahu  with  all  despatch. 

The  day  after  Kelea  had  taken  her  revenge, 
she  experienced  a  terrible  reaction.  Her 
wahines,  whom  she  scolded  for  slight  faults, 
began  to  sulk  and  complain  to  each  other; 
she  herself  took  a  large  draught  of  awa,  which 
she  had  brought  to  the  hut,  ostensibly  as  med- 
icine for  Hookama ;  even  the  young  alii 
noticed  the  change,  the  cause  of  which  he  at- 


A  If  A  WAIIAN  MAIDEWS  RE  VENGE.  103 

tributed  to  his  lack  of  response  to  her  ar- 
dent expressions  of  affection  on  the  previous 
day.  He  pitied  her  after  a  fashion  ;  he  liked 
her  in  a  way,  and  she  had  nursed  him  back  to 
health,  as  he  learned  by  questioning  one  of 
her  maidens.  But  then  he  had  saved  her  from 
a  horrid  death  when  in  danger  from  the  shark, 
and  so  they  were  quits,  according  to  the  Ha- 
waiian idea  of  justice,  which  set  one  deed  off 
against  another,  whether  it  were  the  killing  of 
a  man  or  the  desertion  of  a  woman. 

He  was  able  to  walk  slowly  to  the  place 
where  he  took  his  sun-bath  and  siesta.  There, 
the  girls  lomi~e.d  him  till  the  warm  blood 
coursed  through  his  veins.  They  were  skilled 
in  playing  on  the  nose-flute  and  the  ukeke,  a 
sort  of  jewsharp  with  two  strings,  and  the 
plaintive  music  accorded  well  with  his  own 
feelings. 

Kelea  was  with  him  much  of  the  time,  but 
there  was  something  strange  in  her  actions 
which  he  could  not  understand.  The  fact 
was,  she  had  begun  to  realize,  as  Hookama 
gained  strength,  that  this  dream  of  love  must 
soon  come  to  an  end  for  her,  and  the  thought 
almost  crazed  her  brain,  her  nerves  having 
been  strained  to  their  utmost  tension  by  the 
occurrences  of  the  past  week. 

She  thought  of  flinging  herself  off 


104  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

if  Hookama  would  not  take  her  with  him,  as 
chiefs  often  took  their  wives  and  other  women 
even  on  their  warlike  expeditions.  Then 
came  the  dreadful  temptation  to  poison  her- 
self and  him,  rather  than  to  lose  the  object  of 
her  heart.  She  stifled  this  suggestion,  saying  : 
"  Ka,  ka !  only  a  kanaka  would  use  poison — or 
a  kahuna"  Then  she  tried  to  offer  the 
"  prayer  to  enlist  the  affections,"  but  nothing 
calmed  or  relieved  her.  She  was  revolving 
several  schemes  to  detain  Hookama  or  to  fol- 
low him  to  Oahu,  when  one  of  the  wahines 
came  hurriedly  to  announce  the  arrival  of 
King  Kahahana  at  the  hut. 

He  asked  to  see  Hookama  at  once,  and  Kelea 
led  him  to  the  cosy  retreat  where  he  found  the 
young  alii  luxuriously  reclining  in  the  midst 
of  f ertis*  and  flowers  that  Kelea  had  tastefully 
arranged. 

"  Aha !  my  fine  friend  !  It  is  a  joy  to  see 
you  again  with  the  blood  of  your  noble 
ancestors  showing  in  your  face."  He  checked 
himself,  aware  that  Hookama  was  ignorant  of 
his  birth  rank. 

"  You  have  a  snug  nest  up  here,  for  a  bird- 
catcher  ;  but  come  now,  if  you  are  equal  to  it, 
let  us  talk  on  some  important  matters ;  and 
my  time  is  short." 

Hookama  took  his  friend's  hand,  unable  to 


A  HA  WAIIAN  MAIDEN'S  REVENGE.          105 

rise  and  give  the  customary  obeisance,  and 
the  king  then  told  him  of  a  terrible  sick- 
ness in  the  camp  at  Wailuku,  owing  to  the 
unburied  bodies  of  the  enemy  slain  in  the 
recent  battles.  The  situation  was  alarming. 
Hundreds  of  the  villagers  were  escaping  to  the 
hills,  which  accounted  for  the  numbers  of  them 
coming  through  the  pass. 

He  said  Kahekili  had  given  him  permission 
to  retire  at  the  earliest  moment ;  a  great  relief, 
as  he  was  anxious  to  get  back  to  Oahu.  Then 
pledging  Hookama  by  a  sacred  oath,  he  ex- 
plained the  disaffection  of  some  of  his  own 
chiefs. 

"  Now,"  he  added,  "  I  must  entrust  to  you 
a  secret  mission,  which  will  require  both  bold- 
ness and  tact.  It  is  an  embassy  to  the  defeated 
king  of  Hawaii.  I  cannot  trust  the  crafty 
moi  of  Maui,  who  has  designs  of  his  own  with 
reference  to  Oahu  ;  but  the  Hawaiian  king, 
knowing  this,  may  come  to  my  help  if  the 
rebellious  chiefs  prove  too  powerful  for  me  to 
cope  with  them." 

The  plan  was  for  Hookama  to  embark  in 
the  king's  war-canoe.  Out  at  sea,  he  would  be 
transferred  to  another  war-canoe  with  trusty 
warriors.  Then  steering  for  Waipio,  Hawaii, 
where  the  Hawaiian  king  held  his  court,  he 
could  land  as  a  bird-catcher  and  get  a  chance 
to  confer  with  the  king  alone. 


io6  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

"  There  are  so  few  that  I  can  trust,"  he  con- 
cluded, "  but  I  am  sure  of  you — you  must  go." 

Hookama  pleaded  his  feeble  condition,  his 
youth  and  inexperience,  but  the  king  was  per- 
sistent. "  The  voyage,"  he  said,  "  will  restore 
you  to  perfect  health."  There  was  nothing 
for  the  youth  to  do  but  to  yield,  and  he 
promised  to  do  his  best,  if  it  cost  his  life. 

"  But,"  said  Hookama,  "  I  must  tell  Kelea 
at  once ;  the  girl  has  been  very  good  to  me 
and  I  am  afraid,"  he  added  with  a  feeble 
smile,  "  that  she  has  taken  a  fancy  to  me,  to  her 
own  ill-luck,  for  she  can  never  be  anything  to 
me  but  a  Jwalauna  (friendly  companion)." 

"  I  will  look  after  her,"  said  Kahahana, 
"  and  I  will  send  a  litter  for  you,  the  day  after 
to-morrow,  when  we  embark." 

Then  calling  Kelea,  who  had  retired  during 
the  interview,  he  thanked  her  for  her  kindness 
to  Hookama  and  presented  her  with  a  string  of 
the  precious  achantinella  (land  shells),  a  variety 
found  only  on  trees,  very  exquisite  in  tint  and 
vivid  in  changing  hue.  The  girl  received  his 
praises  with  a  blushing  face,  but  refused  his 
gift.  The  king  insisting,  she  finally  accepted 
the  shells  and  hid  them  in  her  girdle,  thinking 
she  might  need  them  in  the  furtherance  of  her 
plans. 

Bidding  her  look  well  to  Hookama  and  with 


A  If  A  WAIIAN  MAIDEN'S  REVENGE.          107 

other  pleasant  words  to  his  friend,  after  the 
usual  parting  salutation,  the  touching  of  noses, 
the  king  rejoined  his  escort  and  was  soon  out 
of  sight  down  the  ravine. 

Hookama,  exhausted  by  the  interview,  sank 
back  into  the  long,  soft  grass  and  resigned 
himself  to  the  luxury  of  the  genial  tropical 
sunshine. 


CHAPTER  XL 

A  HAWAIIAN  WOOING. 

AFTER  the  king  of  Oahu  had  gone,  Hook- 
ama's  announcement  to  Kelea  that  scarcely 
more  than  a  day  remained  before  he  must 
accompany  his  king  to  Oahu,  made  her  heart 
sink  within  her.  All  that  the  young  alii 
could  say  failed  to  cheer  her.  His  words 
seemed  cold  and  heartless  to  her  fervid  thirst 
for  his  love. 

She  hurried  away  on  a  slight  pretext,  and,  in 
the  secluded  dell  near  the  bathing  pool,  gave 
vent  to  her  passionate  feelings.  She  burst 
into  angry  imprecations  at  one  moment  and 
the  next,  calming  a  litfle,  conjured  up  various 
schemes  to  attain  her  end.  Finally  a  plan 
shaped  itself  in  her  mind,  and  bathing  her  face 
in  the  cool  water  of  the  pool  she  went  back  to 
the  hut,  and  chatted  gaily  with  Hookama  till 
evening,  of  a  thousand  trifling  matters. 


A  HA  WAIIAN  WOOING.  109 

The  wahines  played  and  sang  to  him,  while 
Kelea  fantastically  arrayed  the  youth  in 
festoons  of  vines  and  blossoms.  He  yielded 
to  her  caprice  and  was  glad  that  her  brow  had 
lost  the  cloud  which  settled  there  at  the 
beginning  of  the  day. 

No  kukui-torch.  was  lighted  in  the  little 
grass  hut  that  night.  The  wahines  slept 
soundly  in  their  own  house  and  Hookama 
was  happy  to  yield  himself  to  sleep  when  the 
first  darkness  settled  down  upon  the  land.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  Kelea,  filled  with  the 
hope  which  her  new  plan  inspired,  slept  only 
by  fits  and  starts,  while  her  mind  was  busy,  in 
the  intervals  between  waking  and  sleeping, 
with  the  details  of  the  venture,  into  which  she 
threw  her  whole  nature  with  desperate  dis- 
regard of  whatever  consequences  might  follow 
either  its  success  or  failure. 

Another  bright  day  dawned  on  the  morrow, 
even  more  delicious  in  its  balmy  odors  and 
its  invigorating  air.  Early  was  Kelea  in  the 
hands  of  her  maidens  at  the  pool,  which  she 
playfully  called  her  "  city  of  refuge,"  a  term 
applied  to  enclosures  which  no  enemy  could 
enter  on  pain  of  death. 

The  wahines  caused  her  skin  to  shine  after 
her  bath  like  the  polished  koa  wood,  and 
placed  about  her  neck  the  circlet  of  shells 


KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


which  the  prince  had  given  her ;  around  her 
ample  waist  they  arranged  the  marvellous 
shining  skirt  (pail),  constructed  of  spires  of 
sword-like  grass,  from  which  after  the  outside 
was  stripped  a  long,  silvery  fibre  remained. 
Hundreds  of  these  flexible,  glossy  ribbons 
made  a  gauzy  covering  from  waist  to  knees, 
clinging  light  as  air,  for  the  most  part,  to 
the  limbs,  although  some  of  the  streamers 
floated  outward  when  touched  by  the  faintest 
breeze. 

Kelea  then  wreathed  her  head  and  arms  and 
bust  in  flowers  and  delicate  ferns  and  gave 
directions  to  the  wahincs,  who  received  them 
with  a  most  demure  expression  of  countenance. 
She  told  them  to  go  back  at  once  to  Waihee 
and  say  to  her  father  that  they  had  all  been 
to  visit  some  acquaintances  among  the  hills. 
"You  need  not  go  into  the  hut  to  get  the 
tapas  and  calabashes,"  she  added,  "  but  hurry 
down  the  pass  as  fast  as  you  can  go,  and  say 
that  I  am  coming  after  you,  as  soon  as  I  have 
made  my  offering  at  the  shrine  of  Lilinoe, 
where  I  must  spend  the  night,  according  to  a 
vow  made  for  my  father's  safety  in  the  battle." 
She  saw  them  on  the  path,  but  she  did  not  see 
their  amused  looks,  as  they  began  to  laugh 
and  chatter  together,  as  soon  as  they  were  out 
of  sight. 


A  HA  WAIIAN  WOOING. 


Not  long  after  their  departure,  Kelea  re- 
turned to  the  hut  and  in  her  most  playful, 
fascinating  manner,  assisted  the  invalid  to 
come  and  see  her  "  city  of  refuge,"  taking  the 
ta^M-spear  with  her,  and  planting  it  just  out- 
side the  little  dell.  Never  did  fairy  bower  look 
more  enchanting  and  never  did  queen  appear 
in  more  bewitching  mood.  Kelea  had  hung 
wreaths  of  ferns  and  blossoms  on  the  branches 
overarching  the  pool.  Fresh  moss  was  piled 
upon  the  bank  and  flowers  were  scattered  every- 
where. There  were  tapa  cloths  on  which  lus- 
cious fruits  were  laid,  and  a  large  calabash  was 
filled  with/<?2. 

The  fragrance  of  the  Hawaiian  begonia  per- 
vaded the  air.  Its  delicately  tinted  pink 
flowers  covered  the  spray-blown  face  of  the 
waterfall,  and  a  rippling  streamlet  made  soft 
music  as  it  fell  from  the  rocks  over  a  low 
ledge  into  the  clear,  bright  water. 

Hookama  needed  no  urging  to  get  down  at 
once  into  the  pool.  It  was  hardly  up  to  his 
shoulders,  and  as  he  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
circling  wavelets  after  his  cooling  dip,  he  was 
more  like  the  vigorous  man  of  former  days  to 
the  smiling  girl  upon  the  grassy  shore,  than  he 
had  appeared  since  the  battle. 

When  he  came  out  and  lay  on  the  mossy 
couch  prepared  for  him,  his  muscular  limbs 


KELEA  :    THE  SURF-RIDER. 


were  tinged  with  a  ruddy  hue  and  a  new  color 
came  over  his  strong  body,  which  his  brief  ill- 
ness had  not  wasted.  To  Kelea,  he  was  like  a 
god  come  down  to  earth  to  visit  her,  such  as 
she  had  seen  in  her  happiest  dreams. 

With  gentle  yet  firm  touch,  she  dried  his 
dripping  skin,  using  thin  tapa  cloths,  and  then, 
applying  her  soft  palms  till  the  surface  was 
like  polished  marble,  she  anointed  his  body 
with  fragrant  oils ;  wreathing  his  neck  and 
breast  with  garlands,  she  set  before  him  the 
food,  and  with  skilful  fingers  peeled  the 
breadfruit  and  bananas,  causing  him  to  eat 
them  from  her  hand. 

When  the  repast  was  over,  she  seated  her- 
self at  his  side  and  suddenly  flinging  a  roll  of 
tapa  over  them  both,  exclaimed,  "  Now  thou 
art  my  husband  (kane)"  and  nestled  towards 
him,  the  silvery  fringe  of  her  skirt  lightly  fall- 
ing on  his  body.  The  young  man  rose  to  his 
feet  in  an  instant,  and  upbraided  her  with 
alluring  him  into  the  trap.  It  was  a  custom 
of  the  country  that  a  marriage  ceremony  was 
complete  when  both  parties,  by  mutual  con- 
sent, were  covered  by  the  tapa  cloth.  In  the 
case  of  a  chief  or  alii,  it  should  be  of  a  pecu- 
liar color.  Had  Hookama  seen  such  a  roll 
near  by,  as  if  provided  for  the  ceremony,  his 
suspicions  would  have  been  aroused  and  he 


A  HA  WAIIAN  WOOING.  1 1 3 

would  have  given  Kelea  no  opportunity  to 
claim  him  even  in  mock  espousal. 

Now  he  was  thoroughly  angry  and  de- 
nounced the  trick.  He  defied  her  to  publish  to 
her  kindred,  (as  was  the  custom  when  a  marriage 
was  secretly  consummated,)  the  deception  she 
had  practised.  Besides,  no  mutual  consent 
was  possible  in  this  case,  for,  by  all  the  gods, 
he  declared  he  would  not  have  her  for  his 
wife. 

But  the  young  man  had  overestimated  the 
strength  derived  from  the  momentary  glow 
imparted  by  the  bath  and  the  food  he  had 
taken.  His  exertion,  under  the  excitement  of 
his  aroused  indignation,  was  too  much  for  his 
still  feeble  condition,  and  with  a  dizzy  feeling 
he  sank  to  the  ground.  His  head  reeled  and 
he  could  not  steady  himself  enough  to  rise, 
although  he  made  an  effort  to  get  upon  his 
feet. 

At  first,  Kelea,  hearing  his  angry  exclama- 
tions, stood  ready  to  respond  with  wrathful 
words ;  her  hands  were  clenched,  her  eyes 
aflame  and  her  whole  frame  trembling  with 
passion.  But  the  instant  Hookama  fell,  she 
was  kneeling  by  his  side,  bathing  his  head 
with  water  and  putting  the  awa  to  his  lips,  in 
order  if  possible  to  revive  him.  She  spoke  no 
word ;  her  face  expressed  nothing  but  concern 


114  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

and  pity.  She  had  nerved  herself  for  this 
supreme  effort  to  make  the  young  alii  all  her 
own,  and  she  had  failed.  But  what  was 
that  compared  with  harm  or  suffering  to 
Hookama ! 

When  the  youth  revived  and  sat  up,  looking 
not  at  her  but  at  the  reflection  in  the  pool  of 
her  kneeling  figure,  the  sense  of  her  discomfi- 
ture and  the  hopelessness  of  her  endeavor  re- 
turned upon  her  like  a  torrent,  and  she  felt  as 
if  she  had  received  the  overwhelming  shock 
of  an  ocean  wave. 

She  was  crushed,  humiliated,  baffled  in  this 
last  effort  to  achieve  a  triumph  which  she 
thought  was  almost  in  her  grasp.  She  fell  at 
Hookama's  feet,  and,  with  her  face  in  her 
hands,  buried  her  head  in  the  deep  moss, 
crying  and  moaning  as  if  her  heart  would 
break.  The  flowers,  with  which  she  had 
adorned  her  neck  and  brow,  were  crumpled 
and  awry ;  the  band,  which  held  her  silvery 
skirt,  parted  and  the  shining  folds  of  streamers, 
wound  round  and  round  to  form  the  fluffy 
garment,  lay  unrolled,  a  disorderly  mass  half 
covering  her  limbs.  She  was  the  picture  of 
abject  despair. 

Hookama  could  have  met  the  situation,  weak 
as  he  was,  had  Kelea  faced  him  with  threats 
or  even  with  spiteful  ferocity  ;  but  this  was  a 


A  HA  WA II A  N  WOOING.  1 1 5 

new  experience  ;  he  had  never  seen  a  woman 
in  such  a  state  before.  He  tried  to  lift  her 
but  found  his  strength  insufficient.  He  was 
too  feeble  physically  to  realize  that  she  was 
giving  herself  to  him  body  and  soul.  Indeed, 
he  felt  something  of  the  same  fear  and  repug- 
nance towards  her  that  made  him  break  away 
from  her  importunities  at  Waihee.  Besides, 
he  was  bewildered,  knowing  that  he  was  the 
cause  of  her  despair,  although  without  any 
such  intention.  He  also  knew  that  he  had 
too  easily  yielded  to  her  caressive  attentions, 
and  at  Waihee  had  made  to  her  some  rash 
promises. 

At  length,  he  said  to  her,  in  as  kindly  a  tone 
as  he  could  command  :  "  Kelea,  listen  I  You 
have  planted  the  tree,  not  I.  If  its  fruit  is 
bitter,  am  I  to  blame  ?  The  gods  are  unkind 
to  you.  The  crab  with  its  shell  broken  cannot 
cling  to  the  rock ;  the  waves  carry  it  away : 
but  a  man  can  pick  up  the  shell-fish  and  set  it 
in  a  place  where  it  can  at  least  live.  This  is 
all  I  can  do  for  you.  I  did  not  break  the 
beautiful  shell;  I  am  sorry  it  is  broken.  I 
cannot  make  you  my  wife  ;  I  am  only  a  boy  ; 
you  are  older;  you  are  my  'elder  sister*  [A 
Hawaiian  figure].  I  have  royal  blood  in  my 
veins,  they  tell  me,  but  I  have  no  inheritance. 
My  name,  Hookama,  means  *  the  adopted 


Il6  KELEA:   THE  SURF-RIDER. 

one ' ;  it  carries  nothing  but  the  barren  right 
of  an  alii  to  serve  another  greater  alii.  I 
don't  know  who  were  my  parents  ;  I  only  obey 
my  chief  and  my  king  ;  if  I  were  free " 

With  a  sudden  start,  and  fixing  her  tear- 
streaming  eyes  upon  him,  Kelea  cried,  "Then 
it  is  another — I  feared  it  was ;  but  she  would 
pity  me.  I'll  be  her  slave,  her  kauwa,  any- 
thing you  wish,  if  you  will  only  let  me  go  with 
you,  be  yours  to  love  and  care  for." 

There  was  a  touching  pathos  in  her  tones. 
This  proud  woman,  who  could  meet  a  cow- 
ardly man  and  fight  him  for  her  honor ;  whose 
superb  strength  could  wrestle  with  the  surge 
of  the  ocean  and  conquer  it ;  whose  haughty 
bearing  had  overawed  many  a  chief  that 
sought  her  hand  in  marriage,  was  now  suing 
this  unknown  youth,  whose  lineage  she  did 
not  know,  for  the  smallest  favor  which  a  man 
could  bestow,  the  wretched  boon  of  being  the 
servant  of  one  he  loved  and  whom  she  had 
never  seen. 

"  Aole,  aole !  "  he  replied.  "  No,  Kelea,  some 
evil  spirit  has  suggested  this  to  you.  It  is  not 
another,  but  I  do  not  love  you  ;  I  do  not  want 
you.  You  are  tabu  to  my  heart.  I  do  not 
know  why,  but  it  is  the  will  of  the  gods.  The 
sea-bird  never  dwells  with  the  bird  on  the  hills. 
Even  if  I  loved  you,  I  could  not  carry  you 


A  HA  WAIT  AN  WOOING.  1 17 

with  me  to  my  distant  home.  The  aromatic 
shrub  has  no  sweetness  when  broken  off 
from " 

"  Then  swear  to  me,"  cried  the  wretched 
girl,  "  even  if  you  cannot  love  me  ;  swear  to 
me  only  this — will  you,  Hookama?  If  you 
will,  I  will  trouble  you  no  more.  I  will  do  all 
you  say ;  you  shall  be  my  star  in  the  sky  and 
I  will  worship  you  as  too  fair,  too  bright  for 
me,  except  as  it  shines  on  me  from  the  clouds." 

"Swear  what?"  he  quickly  asked,  as  if  a 
chance  to  escape  from  the  pit  into  which  he 
had  fallen  were  suddenly  offered. 

"That  if  I  should  appear  to  you  in  your  dis- 
tant home — alas  !  too  far  for  me  ever  to  reach 
it — you  will  not  shun  me,  hate  me,  even  if  you 
cannot  do  more.  I  will  not  claim  you  ;  I  will 
never  burden  you,  but  you  will  not  hate  me, 
kill  me,  or  thrust  me  from  your  sight.  Swear 
this  to  me,  by  Kane,  Lono,  and  her  whom  I 
worship,  the  goddess  Lilinoe,  and  I  will  try 
your  patience  no  more.  We  will  be  brother 
and  sister  till  you  sail  away, — lost,  lost  forever 
to  your  Kelea,  whose  spirit  you  will  take  with 
you,  while  her  body  wanders  like  the  wind  in 
the  evening  twilight." 

"  I  swear  it,"  said  Hookama,  soberly,  "  by 
Kane,  Lono  and  Lilinoe.  If  I  do  not  keep 
the  vow  (it  is  not  a  hard  one)  may  their  curses 


ii8  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

come  upon  me  like  the  blast  from  a  red  crack 
of  the  volcano,  where  your  goddess  holds  fiery 
sway." 

As  he  said  these  words,  he  turned  and 
slowly  wended  his  way  back  to  the  hut  and 
threw  himself  on  the  mats,  exhausted  in  body 
and  mind.  The  shock  had  unnerved  him ; 
he  could  not  think  of  anything,  except  that 
he  remembered  how  on  the  morrow  he  must 
be  strong  enough  to  reach  the  coast,  for  he 
had  given  his  word  to  depart  with  the  king, 
when  the  sun  went  down  on  that  day. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  VISION  OF  KELEA'S  ANCESTRESS. 

As  soon  as  Hookama  vanished  out  of  her 
sight,  and  Kelea's  heavy  eyes  had  watched  his 
steps  beyond  the  dense  foliage  of  the  dell, 
this  strange  creature  of  good  and  bad  impulses 
seemed  to  change  into  a  savage  with  all  the 
inherited  tendencies  of  the  wildest  of  her  bar- 
barian ancestors. 

She  tore  off  the  flowers  that  still  clung  to 
her  hair  and  breast,  and  flung  them  into  the 
pool.  Her  silver  circlet  was  snatched,  as  if  it 
were  a  poisoned  garment,  from  her  form  ;  this 
she  threw  with  violence  after  the  garlands. 
Tapa  cloths,  calabashes,  fruits,  mosses,  every- 
thing, even  the  wreaths  she  had  hung  on  the 
trees,  went  into  the  water  as  if  they  had  been 
witnesses  to  a  deed  of  blood.  Then,  climbing 
upon  the  ledge,  she  rolled  the  largest  stones 
she  could  move  into  the  basin  ;  breaking  the 


KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


limbs  of  the  overhanging  trees,  she  bent  them 
down  till  the  trembling  leaves  swept  the  sur- 
face of  the  pool,  and,  when  all  was  done  that 
could  be  done  by  her  main  strength,  she  leaped 
in  after  the  tangled  mass,  as  if  to  drown  her- 
self in  the  midst  of  the  meshes  of  the  net  she 
had  madly  woven. 

But  she  did  not  mean  to  drown  herself.  She 
must  live.  Her  leap  was  only  the  last  blind 
movement  of  her  savage  fury.  Buoyed  up  by 
the  debris,  her  hot  limbs  sank  but  knee-deep 
in  the  water  ;  then  she  scooped  the  water  with 
her  hands  and  bathed  her  fevered  forehead. 
Scrambling  out,  she  lay  upon  the  bank  as  if 
her  paroxysm,  not  of  rage  but  of  reckless 
frenzy,  in  departing,  had  left  her  a  wounded, 
wretched  creature,  heedless  of  everything  but 
her  own  misery. 

She  might  have  remained  in  that  condition 
till  the  darkness  came  on,  for  all  that  she 
cared.  It  mattered  little  to  her  what  hap- 
pened now.  A  numbness  at  last  came  upon 
her  and  she  felt  as  if  she  had  no  power  to 
move.  Then,  to  her  tired  brain,  as  if  it  were 
a  vision  in  sleep,  there  appeared  the  spirit- 
ancestress  whose  name  she  bore.  Kelea,  the 
famous  surf-rider  of  Maui,  of  whom  the  bards 
of  Oahu  and  Maui  love  to  sing ;  Kelea,  the 
beautiful  but  capricious  sister  of  Kawao,  king 


A  VISION  OF KELEA'S  ANCESTRESS.         121 

of  Maui ;  she  who  had  called  the  surf-board  her 
husband  till  the  gods  summoned  her  to  Oahu 
and  Lo-lale  made  her  his  bride,  indulging  her 
in  every  whim. 

As  if  an  ocean  billow  had  flung  this  queenly 
form  before  her  on  the  beach,  Kelea  recog- 
nized in  the  apparition  a  kindred  spirit  that 
had  come  to  succor  her  in  her  hour  of  need. 
The  goddess  held  out  her  arms  and  her  feet 
were  dripping  with  pearls  of  dew.  Her  face 
was  radiant  as  she  gaily  told  the  story  of  her 
joy  with  the  water  sprites  in  the  deep  sea  at 
Ewa  bay,  where  now  she  sported  beneath  the 
breakers  which  she  had  breasted  in  her  life- 
time long  ago,  when  she  drove  the  white- 
maned  steeds  of  the  surf  and  lay  upon  the 
sandy  shore  with  the  wavelets  lapping  her  feet. 

Her  mysterious  disappearance  from  Maui, 
when  Lo-lale's  cousin,  commissioned  to  find 
him  a  wife,  carried  her  off  to  Oahu  to  the 
brighter  home  she  found  on  that  beautiful  isle, 
is  it  not  all  written  in  the  Myths  and  Legends 
of  Hawaii  ? 

Strangely  enough,  the  exact  route  taken  by 
the  Kelea  of  centuries  past,  as  the  canoe  of 
her  abductor  sailed  by  the  stars  bearing  north- 
ward to  escape  Molokai,  seemed  clear  to  the 
Kelea  of  the  present.  The  wandering  stars, 
the  five  planets  known  to  the  ancient  Hawai- 


KELEA:   THE  SURF-RIDER. 


ians,  directed  the  course  then  to  the  west,  and 
the  entire  journey  over  the  restless  seas,  end- 
ing with  the  royal  welcome  by  Lo-lale  dressed 
in  his  richest  trappings,  became  as  real  to  the 
dreaming  girl  as  if  she  were  herself  passing 
with  her  captivating  ancestress  through  it  all, 
to  be  decked  with  pearls  on  her  arrival. 

Then  a  cloud  settled  over  the  water-queen, 
as  she  spoke  of  the  gentle  Lo-lale,  who  had 
relinquished  her  to  his  royal  cousin,  when  the 
fitful  bride  longed  for  a  home  nearer  the  sea 
than  the  royal  hale  on  the  mountains  of  Oahu. 

The  half-awake,  half-sleeping  Kelea  thought 
in  the  vision  that  she  was  the  wanderer,  but 
as  an  outcast  driven  from  her  own  island  and 
having  no  place  to  call  her  home. 

Yet  when  the  spirit  of  Kelea,  the  beautiful, 
disappeared  in  the  mist  of  a  rainbow,  diving 
back  into  the  blue  depths  of  the  sea,  the  look 
she  gave  her  sorrowful  descendant  was  so 
reassuring  that  it  said,  "  Follow  me,  where  I 
found  happiness  in  a  lover,"  and  the  girl  awoke 
from  her  trance  in  new  and  vigorous  hope- 
fulness. She  had  received,  she  believed,  a 
message  from  the  god  that  ruled  the  sea, 
Kane-huli-koa,  whose  votary  her  ancestress 
was,  bidding  her  trust  herself  to  him  and  all 
would  be  well. 

From  that  moment,  her  strength   came  in 


A  VISION  OF  KELEAS  ANCESTRESS.  123 

full  flood  upon  her  again  ;  her  love  for  Hook- 
ama  quickened  her  pulses  and  her  whole  being 
was  suffused  with  the  glow  of  a  new  purpose, 
which,  as  the  will  of  the  gods,  she  determined 
to  carry  out,  even  to  the  minutest  details  as 
the  water-queen  had  revealed  them.  She 
knew  the  story  of  Kelea  by  heart  from  her 
early  childhood,  but  now  it  became  a  reality 
and  a  prophecy. 

She  arose  from  the  bank,  with  a  new  light 
in  her  eyes  and  a  joyous  feeling  in  her  heart. 
She  looked  down  at  the  pool,  then  she  turned 
her  back  upon  the  scene  of  her  discomfiture 
and  went  away  as  if  a  victory  were  already 
won.  She  said  to  herself :  "  He  shall  see 
what  a  wife  I  might  be  to  him,"  as  she  allowed 
her  hair  to  ripple  over  her  comely  shoulders. 

One  piece  of  tapa,  which  had  escaped  her 
ruthless  hands,  she  wound  about  her,  as  the 
matrons  of  her  tribe  were  accustomed  to  wear 
their  sober  garments.  With  the  /a^-spear  in 
her  hand,  she  went  back  to  the  grass  house 
and  planted  it  before  the  door.  She  saw 
Hookama  through  the  opening,  as  he  lay 
upon  the  couch,  but  she  did  not  go  in. 

She  busied  herself  heating  stones  in  an 
earthen  oven.  She  cooked  delicious  cakes  of 
poi ;  plucked  the  ripest  fruit  of  the  pandanus  ; 
chose  the  most  juicy  berries,  and,  when  all  was 
ready,  carried  the  tempting  food  into  the  hut." 


124  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

When  she  stood  before  Hookama,  her  face 
was  serene,  but  not  bold.  Her  eyes  sought 
the  ground,  not  as  if  she  were  abashed,  but 
modestly.  In  subdued  tones  she  invited  him 
to  eat.  As  he  ate  sparingly,  she  waited  in 
silence.  When  he  finished  she  quietly  took 
away  the  remnants  of  the  repast,  and  return- 
ing sat  in  repose  at  his  feet. 

He  saw  that  she  wore  no  flowers,  the  first 
time  he  had  ever  seen  her  without  them.  He 
noticed  that  her  bosom  was  covered  with  a 
coarse  brown  tapa,  a  choice  of  vestments  very 
unlike  her  usual  clothing  of  bright  and  varia- 
gated  cloths.  But  he  could  not  avoid  seeing 
also  a  look  of  relief  on  her  face  and  something 
like  exultation  in  her  eyes. 

When  she  had  given  Hookama  the  lomi-lomi, 
usually  performed  by  her  wahines,  she  spread 
the  night-%te  cloth  over  him  carefully,  and, 
with  a  pleasant  Aloha  and  a  smile,  went  out 
under  the  stars.  He  heard  her  go  to  the 
little  hut  of  the  women,  and  then  all  was 
silent,  except  as  the  stillness  was  broken  by 
the  occasional  hooting  of  a  distant  owl  and 
the  sound  of  melodious  cascades. 

There  was  no  change  the  next  day  in  Kelea's 
manner  or  actions.  She  brought  him  water 
and  food  ;  asked  if  he  wished  to  go  out  for  a 
sun-bath;  helped  him  collect  the  things  that 


A  VISION  OF KELEAS  ANCESTRESS.         125 

belonged  to  him,  rolled  them  into  a  bundle 
and  cleared  up  the  interior  of  the  hut,  making 
ready  to  leave  in  the  afternoon.  To  Hook- 
ama's  surprise  and  satisfaction,  she  did  not 
allude  to  the  events  of  the  previous  day. 
She  said  nothing  to  him  about  his  "  oath." 
She  made  no  affectionate  advances,  but  acted 
like  a  woman  who  looked  after  her  master's 
comfort,  and  accepted  his  whims  as  a  matter 
of  course. 

When  the  litter,  a  wattled  netting  swung  on 
two  stout  bamboo  poles  with  cross-pieces,  was 
brought  by  order  of  the  king,  she  filled  it  with 
long  grass,  helped  the  carriers  lift  their  heavy 
burden  to  their  shoulders,  and,  taking  the 
bundle  of  goods  tied  up  in  tapa,  followed  at  a 
little  distance  in  the  rear,  as  the  little  troop 
marched  down  the  valley. 

The  natives  as  they  passed  her  gave  the  cus- 
tomary salutation,  Aloha,  but  noticed  nothing 
that  distinguished  her  from  the  peasant  class 
except  her  stately  manner.  Only  a  few  turned 
their  heads  and  looked  back  to  scan  her  more 
closely.  In  her  mind,  however,  there  was 
maturing  an  intense  purpose.  She  meant  to 
reach  Oahu  by  some  means  or  other;  what  the 
means  might  be  she  did  not  know,  but  it  was 
an  absolute  certainty  to  her  that  the  home  of 
Hookama  was  the  goal  of  her  life  henceforth. 


126  KELEA:  THE  SURP-RTDER. 

This  idea  was  fixed  in  her  mind  when  she 
awoke  from  her  vision  of  Kelea,  the  surf-rider 
and  queen.  It  had  calmed  her.  It  gave  her 
self-control.  It  dominated  her  temper.  It 
gave  Hookama  a  respite  for  the  present  from 
her  importunity.  It  put  her  into  harmony  with 
Nature  and  its  forces,  for  on  the  universal 
powers  about  her,  supernatural  or  visible,  she 
relied  to  accomplish  her  aim. 

Her  savage  mind  felt  this  vaguely  but  fully. 
In  her  thought,  it  was  simply  :  "  I  will  go  where 
he  goes,  and  sea,  sky  and  land  will  aid  me  ;  I 
can  swim,  walk,  leap.  Men  are  nothing  to 
me  ;  there  is  but  one  man  and  he  has  sworn." 

As  she  came  down  to  the  sand  hills,  the 
camp  of  Kahahana  was  breaking  up.  The 
ground  was  littered  with  torn  bandages  of 
tapa,  remnants  of  food,  bones,  and  broken  cal- 
abashes. Warriors  were  collecting  their  few 
effects,  and  tying  their  javelins  in  bunches 
with  cocoa-nut  fibre.  It  was  a  busy  and  a 
mournful  scene.  The  wounded  warriors  lay 
apart,  ready  to  be  transported  to  the  canoes, 
some  to  die,  and  to  be  lashed  in  a  large  canoe, 
provided  for  the  dead  that  their  bones  might 
be  buried  in  their  native  soil. 

A  few  gruesome  bundles  of  bones  of  chiefs 
killed  in  the  recent  battle,  cleared  of  flesh, 
were  heaped  in  a  pile,  and  the  entire  hillside 


A  VISION  OF  KELEA'S  ANCESTRESS.        127 

was  disfigured  by  foul  materials,  while  the 
odors  from  the  valley  of  death  beneath  came 
up  like  steam  from  a  witch's  cauldron. 

The  king  of  Oahu  and  his  high  chiefs  had 
left  the  camp  days  before  for  a  healthier  loca- 
tion near  the  beach.  After  the  battle  the 
chiefs  left  the  loathsome  results  to  their  low- 
lived followers,  whom  they  used  as  fighters 
but  despised  as  serfs. 

Hastening  forward,  as  soon  as  it  was  known 
that  the  king  had  given  orders  to  bring  the 
sick  alii  to  his  own  quarters,  the  little  band 
went  through  other  collections  of  improvised 
huts,  where  the  army  of  Kahekili,  king  of 
Maui,  awaited  orders  to  depart.  Many  had 
gone  by  the  passes  to  Lahaina,  but  the  bulk  of 
the  forces  was  to  take  canoes  for  the  passage 
by  sea,  in  attendance  on  the  king. 

Arriving  at  King  Kahahana's  house,  with  its 
low  verandah  overlooking  the  sea,  Hookama 
was  cordially  received  by  his  chief  and  the  net 
of  twisted  fibre  was  swung  in  the  coolest  part 
of  the  lanai  for  his  comfort.  Kelea  quietly  de- 
posited her  bundle  at  his  feet ;  took  from  it  a 
few  of  her  own  articles  of  clothing  and  looked 
into  the  young  a/us  face  for  his  parting 
words. 

The  king  stood  by  and  had  already  said 
some  kind  words  to  the  girl,  thanking  her  for 


iz8  KELEA  i 


her  care  of  his  friend.  He  also  placed  in  her 
hand  a  small  sandal  wood  box  of  precious 
shells,  more  valuable  than  those  he  had  for- 
merly given  her,  and  which  could  be  exchanged 
among  the  natives  for  any  necessary  articles. 
Kelea  inwardly  revolted  from  the  idea  of 
wages,  but  in  her  assumed  role  of  nurse  or  ser- 
vant and,  remembering  that  she  might  need 
them,  as  the  king's  first  gift  had  been  flung 
into  the  pool,  she  took  them  with  a  stolid  face, 
thanked  the  giver  and  waited  for  Hookama  to 
bid  her  depart. 

The  young  man,  for  the  first  time,  had  to 
choke  down  a  rising  lump  in  his  throat  ;  he 
had  become  accustomed  to  Kelea's  friendly 
offices  and  graceful  presence.  She  had  nursed 
him  back  to  life  and  he  was  loath  to  part  with 
her. 

Drawing  her  nearer  to  him,  while  the  king, 
with  a  consideration  hardly  to  be  expected  of 
a  barbarian,  turned  his  back  and  looked  off 
towards  the  ocean,  Hookama  held  her  hands 
for  a  moment  and  then,  in  the  grotesque  fash- 
ion of  those  times,  touched  noses  with  the  girl, 
a  token  of  friendliness  and  familiarity  which 
carried  with  it  hearty  goodwill  if  not  always 
the  sincerest  affection. 

As  their  faces  touched,  Kelea  flushed,  and, 
carried  away  by  a  transport  of  love,  whispered 


A  VlSIOtf  OF  KELEA'S  AtiCESTRESS.       120 

in  the  young  man's  ear:  "Aloha  nui !  Remem- 
ber you  have  sworn  !  "  Then  turning  quickly, 
with  an  obeisance  to  the  king,  she  left  the  house, 
her  bundle  on  her  head  like  a  common  native, 
and  walked  towards  the  beach.  Hookama's 
eyes  followed  her  and  a  sigh  broke  from  his 
lips,  which  caused  the  king  to  remark  :  "  Yes, 
she  is  worthy  of  an  alii  for  a  lover."  But  he 
said  nothing  more  and  Hookama  did  not  reply. 
The  two  friends  then  busied  themselves  over 
the  details  of  the  embassy  to  the  king  of 
Hawaii,  which  Hookama  was  about  to  under- 
take. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED. 

THERE  were  signs  of  bustling  life  and  prep- 
aration for  departure  all  along  the  seashore,  as 
Kelea,  with  a  step  of  assumed  gaiety,  entered 
the  groups  of  warriors  and  women,  busy  in 
loading  the  war-canoes  and  for  once  hurrying 
at  their  work.  The  reason  for  this  show  of 
activity  was  apparent,  as  a  chief,  tattooed  over 
half  of  his  face  and  body,  came  striding  along, 
jesting  brutally  with  some  natives  not  quite  as 
nimble  as  the  rest  and  glaring  at  the  women 
who  involuntarily  stopped  their  labors  and 
crouched  on  the  sand  at  his  approach. 

Seeing  Kelea,  who  had  laid  her  bundle 
down  and  was  standing  erect,  not  knowing 
that  it  was  the  king  of  Maui  to  whom  the 
other  women  were  so  obsequious,  Kahekili  was 
taken  by  her  figure  and  the  freshness  of  her 
face.  The  savage  beast  in  him,  which  usually 


A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED.  13 1 

asserted  itself,  changed  to  an  assumed  court- 
liness of  manner  which  he  could  command  at 
will. 

As  he  drew  near  to  her,  the  crowd  drew  off, 
that  they  might  not  cross  his  shadow,  an 
offence  liable  to  the  penalty  of  death,  if  he  so 
willed,  and,  also  that  they  might  not  over- 
hear his  conversation,  a  still  worse  offence. 

"  Wahine  !  These  brave  fellows  from  Oahu 
are  not  your  tribesmen,  I  am  sure  ?  By  Lono, 
they  are  an  ungrateful  set.  Not  a  single 
Hawaiian  chief  after  the  battle  left  alive  for 
sacrifice,  and  several  they  killed  instead  of 
giving  them  to  me  for  my  new  heiau  up  there 
on  the  hill.  See  it,  my  dear?  "and  he  took 
her  chin  in  his  great  rough  hand  and  twisted 
her  neck  to  look  in  the  direction  towards 
which  he  pointed. 

"  They  leave  at  dark ;  good  riddance  to 
their  shadows !  May  they  never  darken  my 
shores  again  :  I've  no  faith  in  them ;  a  race  of 
sharks." 

Then  lowering  on  her,  with  a  grimace  which 
was  meant  for  a  smile,  he  said  under  his 
breath  :  "  Come  to  my  hale-alii  to-night.  I've 
a  present  for  you.  I'll  send  my  kahili-b&zrzr 
to  show  you  the  way,  when  the  canoe  of  the 
king  of  Oahu,  the  last  to  go,  leaves  the  shore." 

Kelea,   frightened  and  abashed,  for  no  alii 


had  ever  used  such  language  to  her  before,  did 
not  dare  raise  her  eyes  to  the  devilish  face  and 
could  only  see  the  leg  that  was  tattooed  all 
over  with  black  spots  like  the  plague. 

She  had  heard  of  the  dreadful  Kahekili  and 
now  her  appehensions  of  her  fate  at  his  hands 
and  in  his  power  made  her  quiver  with  fear. 
All  her  courage  left  her.  She  felt  a  dragging 
sensation  at  her  heart  and  hardly  suppressed  a 
shriek  of  terror. 

The  king  did  not  want  to  frighten  her  ;  that 
was  not  his  aim.  "  Milu  (hell)  seize  me!"  he 
quickly  exclaimed,  as  he  saw  her  trepidation 
and  attributed  it  to  her  sense  of  his  exalted 
rank,  "  but  it's  only  an  ivory  talisman  I  mean 
to  give  you,  to  protect  you  from  evil  spirits,  if 
there  are  any,  and  bad  men. 

"  Who  are  you,  my  wahine  ?  Not  a  low- 
born child,  I'll  swear." 

Seeing  that  he  must  be  answered,  Kelea, 
without  lifting  her  eyes,  told  him  who  her 
father  was,  and  that  he  was  the  chief  of  Waihee. 

"Then  what  are  you  doing  here?  Come, 
come,  I'll  take  you  to  the  hale  myself,  and  to- 
morrow send  you  to  your  father.  He  is  one 
of  my  best  warriors ;  I  must  protect  you  for 
his  sake,"  and  the  ferocious  old  sinner  took 
her  by  the  shoulder,  as  if  to  carry  her  along 
with  him  to  his  house. 


A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED.  133 

With  a  sinking  heart,  and  fearing  the  worst, 
which  was  to  her  the  loss  of  a  chance  to  join 
the  war-canoes  of  Oahu  and  somehow  get  to 
Hookama's  island,  she  walked  with  him  a  little 
way.  Then,  as  if  a  sudden  thought  came  to 
her,  she  looked  up,  and,  summoning  all  her 
courage,  said  meekly  to  the  old  rascal,  "  My 
great  and  honored  Alii  nut,  Kelea  of  Waihee 
is  your  humble  slave.  How  can  she  touch  the 
finger  of  her  king!  Your  favor  is  better  than 
any  talisman  ;  it  is  my  part  only  to  obey." 

Then  Kahekili,  pleased  with  her  voice,  as 
well  as  with  her  person,  said,  as  gently  as  he 
could  : — 

"We  go  to-morrow  to  Lahaina  and  you 
shall  go  with  me.  Your  father  will  esteem  it 
an  honor.  I  see  you  are  as  modest  as  you  are 
fair.  What  say  you,  my  daughter?" 

Emboldened  by  his  softer  tone,  Kelea  re- 
plied :  "  I  like  it  well ;  to  see  your  famous 
palace  at  Lahaina,  my  eyes  have  ached  for 
many  a  day.  Good  alii !  might  I  find  my 
wahines,  and  have  them  with  me  here  when 
the  canoe  of  Kahahana  departs  ?  Then,  with- 
out your  guidance,  we  will  find  our  way  to  the 
hale,  or,  perhaps  you  will  meet  me  here  and 
lead  the  way  ?  " 

Thinking  he  had  made  an  easy  conquest, 
and  that  the  girl,  however  nobly  born,  would 


I34  KELEA :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

not  dare  to  evade  his  authority,  which  was  su- 
preme on  the  island,  even  if  she  were  not  won 
over  by  his  large  offer  to  make  her  one  of  his 
household  at  Lahaina,  the  sly  old  debauchee 
gave  her  leave  to  go,  and,  touching  her  face  to 
his  hand,  Kelea  quietly  and  with  a  proud  step 
walked  inland,  moving  slowly,  this  time  with 
her  bundle  in  her  hand.  When  she  reached  a 
wooded  path,  well  known  to  her,  she  quick- 
ened her  pace  to  a  rapid  run,  and  came  back 
to  the  shore  about  three  hundred  yards  above 
the  place  where  she  had  met  and  outwitted 
the  craftiest  and  cruelest  alii  nut  of  all  the 
islands. 

Creeping  along  the  edge  of  the  beach  where 
there  was  a  growth  of  bushes,  she  gained  a  spot 
on  higher  ground,  where  a  stream  of  consider- 
able size  flowed  into  the  sea.  The  war-canoes 
of  Oahu  extended  to  this  point,  and  there 
were  many  warriors  and  canoe-paddlers  at 
work  here  as  elsewhere  on  the  shore. 

She  knew  that  the  old  king  would  not  come 
so  far  from  the  main  road  to  the  beach,  and 
that  the  men  at  this  place  could  not  have  seen 
her  with  him.  Assuming,  therefore,  the  bold 
air  of  an  ordinary  native  woman,  she  saucily 
approached  the  working  crews  and  bandied 
jests  with  them ;  told  them  that  the  surf 
boards  of  Maui  could  outsail  their  crazy  ca- 


A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED.  135 

noes;  asked  them  if  their  paddles  were  turtle- 
fins  ;  whether  they  did  not  want  to  take  her  as 
a  nurse,  to  go  with  them  for  good  luck ;  or 
would  they  prefer  a  hula-girl  to  dance  on  the 
waves  in  the  moonlight  ?  " 

The  warriors  gathered  about  her  and  chatted 
with  her,  pleased  with  the  diversion,  and  from 
them  she  learned  where  the  king  of  Oahu's 
war-canoe  was  preparing  for  the  voyage. 
"  Not  far  from  here,"  said  one  of  the  merriest 
of  the  young  men,  hoping  to  allure  her  away 
from  the  rest.  Then  he  counted  on  his  fingers, 
"  Akahi  (one),  alua  (two),"  till  he  came  to 
umi  (ten) ;  "  There,"  said  he,  "  and  I'll  meet 
you  in  the  slinging  of  ten  stones,"  meaning  in 
about  half  an  hour. 

Kelea  wound  towards  the  royal  canoe  by  a 
devious  path  through  the  bushes  and  came 
out  abreast  of  it  to  find  a  better  class  of  war- 
riors lounging  about.  They  were  on  guard 
and  not  at  work,  for  the  mots  boat  was  ready 
among  the  first,  and  it  was  near  sundown. 

What  was  her  surprise,  as  she  watched  the 
lazy  warriors,  to  see  two  of  them  get  up,  and, 
going  away,  return,  paddling  a  canoe,  which 
made  her  heart  jump  and  her  blood  tingle. 
She  recognized  in  an  instant  the  canoe  of  Hook- 
ama  in  which  he  had  come  to  Waihee.  The 
men  beached  the  boat,  drew  its  prow  on  the 


136  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

sand,  brought  a  mast,  sail,  a  bunch  of  javelins, 
some  bundles  tied  up  in  tapa,  and  finally  the 
very  load  she  had  carried  on  her  head  down 
the  Wailuku  pass  that  afternoon. 

Stowing  these  things  carefully  away,  they 
added  calabashes,  covered  with  skins,  which 
Kelea  knew  contained  food.  A  lot  of  fresh 
fishes,  that  wriggled  and  shone  as  the  men 
handled  them,  were  thrown  into  the  canoe 
hap-hazard ;  and  finally  a  roll  of  tapa,  very 
securely  fastened,  was  laid  on  the  bundles 
towards  the  stern.  Then  the  men  spread  a 
stout  matting  over  the  canoe,  covering  it 
wholly.  This  cover  was  secured  by  a  cord  of 
fibre,  tied  to  the  outrigger  and  drawn  over 
and  across  the  matting  several  times.  This 
was  done  to  keep  the  contents  from  the  waves 
and  the  rain. 

Having  finished  their  work,  the  men  sat  on 
the  top  of  the  canoe  and  began  to  eat  their poi 
with  an  evident  relish.  At  this  moment, 
Kelea,  covering  her  head  with  her  tapa  mantle, 
ran  very  rapidly  to  the  canoe,  and,  as  if  weary 
with  running,  leaned  upon  it  to  rest  herself. 
The  men  offered  her  the  calabash  containing 
the  poi. 

She  knew  she  was  forbidden  by  tabu  to  eat 
with  men.  The  tabu  was  very  strict  on  that 
point.  So  she  declined,  but  said  if  they  would 


A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED.  137 

leave  some  and  go  away  till  she  had  finished, 
she  would  gladly  share  their  food;  and  she 
showed  them  some  of  the  shells  that  were 
given  to  her  by  Kahahana,  to  pay  for  it,  say- 
ing that  their  wahines  at  Oahu  would  prize 
them  highly. 

The  men  agreed  to  her  proposal,  took  each 
two  handsome  shells  and  went  off  to  the  royal 
war-canoe.  In  fact,  they  told  her  that  they 
belonged  with  the  king's  war-canoe,  and  were 
going  to  draw  this  small  canoe  after  the  king's 
by  a  long  rope.  She  asked  if  they  were  com- 
ing back  again  to  the  canoe,  and  they  said, 
"  Yes,  when  the  sun  shows  its  back  behind 
Mauna  Eke,  and  we  have  set  the  king's  canoe 
into  the  surf." 

She  ate  \\zrpoi  greedily,  for  she  had  scarcely 
tasted  a  morsel  since  morning,  and  then,  leav- 
ing the  calabash  on  the  canoe,  she  went 
through  the  wet  sand,  for  the  tide  was  coming 
in,  and  hid  herself  to  watch  and  think.  Sud- 
denly she  said  to  herself,  "  Be  silent,  O  Sun  !  " 
and  her  heart  leaped  into  her  throat  as  she 
conceived  a  desperate  "  leap  in  the  dark,"  to 
escape  the  dreaded  Kahekili  and  to  attain  her 
dearest  wish.  "  The  canoe  !  the  canoe  !  "  and 
she  could  hardly  keep  from  shouting  at  the 
thought,  as  she  watched  the  sun,  sinking  in  a 
blaze  of  golden  light  beyond  the  hills. 


138  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Speedily  the  twilight  came  on,  and  still  no 
sound  of  the  feet  of  the  coming  warriors  who 
were  to  embark  in  the  war-canoes  lying  quietly, 
and  in  them  their  crews  with  paddles  ready  in 
their  hands.  At  last,  with  the  first  stars,  the 
beach  was  alive  with  warriors  and  she  saw 
dusky  forms  passing  between  her  and  the  sea. 
She  thought  a  dark  object  like  a  litter  passed 
by  and  her  pulses  quickened  at  the  thought  of 
Hookama  so  near ;  it  gave  her  courage  for  her 
daring  venture,  and  when  the  last  form  glided 
by,  with  rapid  feet  she  tore  through  the 
bushes,  leaped  across  the  sandy  beach,  quickly 
untied  the  ends  of  the  lashings  at  the  stern  of 
the  canoe,  squeezed  herself  through  the  small 
opening,  after  pushing  in  the  bundle  she  car- 
ried, and  replacing  the  withs  of  fibre  as  well  as 
she  was  able,  crawled  as  near  the  bow  of  the 
boat  as  she  could  crowd  her  body. 

No  sooner  was  she  safely  in  her  place,  her 
heart  beating  like  surf  upon  the  shore,  than 
she  heard  a  voice,  and  the  canoe,  half  im- 
mersed in  the  water,  moved  as  if  some  one 
were  leaning  against  it.  Then  the  voice  came 
again  to  her  ears,  as  it  said,  "  That  wahine  is  no 
fool;  of  course  she  wouldn't  wait  fora  Maui 
man  as  a  companion,  when  all  these  aliis  of 
Oahu  are  about."  It  was  the  youth  who  had 
counted  ten  upon  his  fingers. 


A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED.  139 

Kelea  heard  his  retreating  footsteps,  and 
soon  after,  the  sound  of  regular  strokes  in  the 
water.  She  knew  that  this  meant  that  the 
war-canoe  of  the  king  was  breasting  the  surf. 

The  two  men  who  had  given  her  the  pot 
(she  knew  them  by  their  voices)  came  running 
at  full  speed :  "  Quick,  with  her  into  the 
surf,"  one  of  them  cried  out.  "Did  they 
mean  her  ?  "  was  the  thought  that  passed  like 
lightning  through  Kelea's  brain,  but  it  was  only 
the  canoe,  which  they  shoved  into  the  curling 
breakers,  and  sprang  upon  its  covered  top. 

One  of  them  bore  down  hard  with  his  foot 
on  the  trembling  body  under  the  matting,  but 
he  noticed  nothing  unusual,  as  the  craft  danced 
on  the  waves  and  shot  over  the  rollers  into 
the  smooth  water  where  the  war-canoe  was 
waiting.  She  heard  shoutings,  and  splashings 
of  the  water  as  of  many  canoes  getting  under 
way — sounds  which  seemed  to  recede  from  her 
as  she  felt  her  own  little  bark  fairly  afloat ; 
and  a  great  relief  came  to  her  spirit. 

Kelea's  perils,  however,  were  not  over.  She 
felt  the  prow  of  the  canoe  strike  a  hard  sub- 
stance ;  it  was  the  stern  of  the  war-canoe. 
Hands  clung  to  the  smaller  craft,  and  com- 
mands were  given  in  a  voice  which  she  recog- 
nized as  Kahahana's,  as  he  sat  in  the  stern  of 
his  war-canoe. 


140  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Of  the  two  men  in  Kelea's  canoe,  the  one  in 
the  prow  leaped  on  board  the  larger  boat ;  the 
other,  who  was  steering  in  the  stern,  started 
across  the  cover  to  follow  his  comrade.  He 
stumbled  along  as  he  went,  and  at  last  planted 
his  foot  squarely  on  the  side  of  Kelea's  head. 
Fortunately  her  head  lay  on  a  roll  of  tafia,  but 
the  man's  weight  was  no  small  burden  to  the 
girl.  She  then  heard  him  say,  "  Ka,  ha,  ha !  I've 
left  the  alii  s  bundle  in  the  boat ;  the  moi  says 
he  must  have  it,  if  it  costs  my  life.  What's 
my  life  to  him  !  "  So  back  again  to  the  stern 
he  plunged  ;  then  dropping  into  the  water  he 
fumbled  under  the  covering,  (fortunately  where 
Kelea  had  left  the  lashings  loose,)  and  began 
to  search  for  the  roll  of  tapa. 

Kelea  felt  the  roll  at  her  feet,  and  pushed  it 
with  all  her  force  ;  it  came  near  the  man's  hand, 
and,  grasping  it,  he  sprang  again  upon  the 
cover,  ran  across  it  once  more,  and  soon  the 
voices  of  the  men  on  the  war-canoe  sounded 
far  away.  There  was  a  jerk  at  the  bow  and 
the  poor,  frightened  girl  in  the  frail  boat  be- 
hind knew  that  twenty  stout  paddlers  were 
carrying  her  towards  the  west — and  Oahu. 

The  sea  was  comparatively  calm,  but  as  the 
canoe 'was  pulled  rapidly  through  the  waves, 
Kelea,  rolling  from  side  to  side,  could  scarcely 
keep  from  being  dashed  against  the  contents 


A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED.  141 

of  the  boat,  which  had  been  left  loose ;  her 
sides  were  bruised  ;  she  protected  her  head 
with  her  tapa  which  she  slipped  off,  but  the 
strain  on  nerves  and  muscles  was  fearful ;  then 
the  strange  reaction,  which  follows  strenuous 
and  prolonged  effort  in  daring  deeds,  came 
upon  her:  "Would  she  live  through  the  long 
voyage  ?  How  long  would  this  dreadful  strain 
continue  ?  If  the  war-canoe  stopped  in  any 
harbor  this  side  of  Oahu,  would  they  send  her 
back?"  These  and  countless  other  possible 
perils,  added  to  the  fatigue  of  her  uncomfort- 
able position,  made  her  brain  reel. 

But  when  she  saw  before  her  that  monster, 
the  king  of  Maui,  with  his  body  half  black, 
and  almost  felt  his  foul  breath  in  her  face  ;  and 
on  the  other  hand,  remembered  Hookama's 
oath,  she  preferred  the  tossing  canoe  with  all 
possible  disaster,  to  the  soil  of  her  native 
island,  with  its  cruel  tyrant  and  his  iron 
hand. 

Hours  passed  and  the  light  that  came 
through  the  sides  of  the  now  loose  and  flap- 
ping covering,  suddenly  vanished  ;  all  was  inky 
blackness.  "  Was  it  death  ?  "  she  asked  her- 
self, "  then  welcome  death,  if  the  gods  so 
willed."  But  she  was  still  alive,  and  the  gods 
were  with  her  as  she  supplicated  their  aid. 
The  god  of  the  sea,  on  whose  bosom  she  had 


142  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

so  often  ridden  the  angry  waves,  would  pro- 
tect her. 

At  any  rate,  she  must  do  something  for  her 
own  safety  and  the  flapping  of  the  now  loose 
covering  suggested  the  effort.  She  had  a 
sharp  shell  which  she  always  carried  in  a  piece 
of  tapa  for  cutting  up  food  and  separating  the 
stout  stems  of  plants  and  fruit. 

Reaching  out  her  hand  with  the  shell  in  it — 
then  her  arm,  she  found  the  taut  rope  by 
which  the  canoe  was  dragged  along.  With 
the  edge  of  the  shell  she  sawed  the  wet  rope. 
The  moist  fibre  cooled  her  fingers  but  held 
fast.  It  was  of  many  twisted  strands.  She 
made  little  impression  upon  it. 

Then  she  determined,  come  what  might,  to 
tear  the  covering  from  the  prow  and  work  with 
better  hope  of  success.  Lying  on  her  breast, 
she  made  an  opening  for  her  head,  then  for  her 
shoulders.  Soon  her  arms  were  free.  She 
clasped  a  little  block  of  wood,  lashed  upright 
in  the  prow  ;  it  was  the  "  totem  "  of  Hookama, 
but  she  did  not  take  much  notice  of  it ;  she 
laid  her  head  against  it  for  support  and  in 
order  to  steady  herself  for  the  work.  Cutting, 
cutting,  the  edge  of  the  shell  became  more  and 
more  dull,  and  to  her  horror,  the  moon,  which 
had  risen  in  a  cloud,  began  to  glimmer  along  a 
narrow  pathway,  bringing  her  canoe  into  plain 


A  SAVAGE  TYRANT  FOILED.  143 

sight,  as  the  line  of  silvery  light  lay  on  the 
water  between  her  and  the  war-canoe. 

To  her  joy,  clouds  again  shut  in  the  disc, 
and  the  rope,  as  she  felt  it  with  her  fingers, 
had  one  strand  severed.  With  renewed  energy 
she  sawed  across  the  remaining  fibres.  For- 
tunately for  her,  the  strands  gave  way  gradu- 
ally, one  by  one.  Had  they  all  parted  at  once 
the  men  in  the  war-canoe  might  have  noticed 
the  result.  Some  of  the  fibres  still  held  firmly, 
when,  at  last,  her  hand,  cramped  with  the  work, 
let  the  shell  fall  and  it  sank  into  the  sea. 

Sick  at  heart  and  exhausted,  Kelea  threw 
herself  back  into  the  canoe  and  lay  down, 
expecting  no  help  from  the  gods,  since  she 
could  no  longer  help  herself.  She  was  tossed 
and  rolled  about,  at  the  mercy  of  the  pitiless 
waves,  conscious  of  nothing  but  her  misery 
— dreading  her  fate. 

Soon,  a  new  motion  of  the  canoe  added  to 
her  fears.  It  tipped  and  as  it  tipped  it  plunged. 
The  sea  came  in  upon  her  head  ;  it  revived  her, 
but  only  to  increase  her  sense  of  danger.  The 
moonbeams  now  fell  full  upon  her  face ;  she 
gazed  up  at  the  sky,  which  showed  stars 
twinkling  but  no  clouds.  She  would  soon  be 
clearly  seen.  But  the  rapid  forward  movement 
had  ceased.  She  crept  to  the  fixed  block  of 
wood  ;  in  the  moonlight  it  grinned  at  her  hor- 


144  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

ribly,  yet  it  looked  like  idols  she  had  seen 
on  the  walls  of  the  heiau.  Perchance  this  god 
had  come  to  her  aid. 

She  raised  her  head  and  looked  about  her. 
The  waves  were  high ;  their  white  crests 
danced  under  the  moon.  The  nebulous  "  star 
with  a  blind  eye  "  faintly  glimmered  above  her. 

But  where  were  the  war-canoes  ?  There  was 
not  the  sign  of  any  moving  thing  on  the  face  of 
the  waters.  High  cliffs  were  on  one  side,  afar 
off ;  an  immense  waste  of  waters  spread  itself 
before  and  behind  ;  nothing  could  be  seen  save 
Nature's  ever-rolling  tides  hurtling  against  the 
shore,  and  the  twinkling  stars  which  now 
thickly  studded  the  heavens. 

With  a  deep  sigh  of  relief,  she  thanked  all 
the  gods  whose  names  she  could  remember, 
and,  laying  her  head  lovingly  on  the  little  idol 
in  the  prow,  she  rubbed  its  ugly  nose  with  her 
own,  as  a  friend  greets  a  friend. 

Then  she  tore  off  the  covering  of  the  canoe, 
seized  the  paddle,  and  seated  herself  in  the 
stern.  She  had  never  paddled  a  canoe,  but 
she  had  guided  her  surf-board  without  a  paddle 
through  the  roughest  seas ;  and  now,  with 
peace  in  her  heart  and  hope  in  her  soul,  she 
sat  like  a  sea-goddess  commanding  the  waves, 
and  the  "  totem "  grinned  at  her  from  its 
perch  in  the  prow. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

HOOKAMA,   A  PRISONER  AT  HAWAII. 

THE  king  of  Oahu,  after  setting  sail  from 
the  island  of  Maui,  sent  his  flotilla  ahead,  his 
own  war-canoe,  with  Hookama's  in  tow,  bring- 
ing up  the  rear,  together  with  another,  sent 
a  short  distance  ahead  as  if  for  look-out. 
So  it  was  that  when  Kelea's  little  craft  dropped 
astern  there  was  no  one  behind  to  see  it ;  and 
when  she  gained  courage  to  look  out,  the  whole 
flotilla  had  passed  on  out  of  sight. 

The  solitary  war-canoe  preceding  the  king's 
was  rowed  by  eight  stout  warriors,  and  when 
a  good  offing  in  the  open  sea  was  secured  it 
was  hailed  and  brought  back.  To  it  Hookama 
was  transferred  for  his  secret  mission  to 
Hawaii. 

The  canoe  was  stocked  with  provisions  and 
weapons,  and  to  the  young  alii  the  king  pre- 
sented a  scarlet  helmet  and  feather  cloak  with 


146  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

the  palaoa,  an  ivory  ornament,  the  token  of  ex- 
alted rank.  Hookama  also  carried  rich  gifts 
from  the  king  of  Oahu  to  the  king  of  Hawaii. 

The  canoe  was  not  so  magnificent  as  the 
royal  war-canoe,  but  it  was  twenty-five  feet 
long,  carved  at  both  ends,  with  a  gaily-painted 
sail  and  a  red  pennon,  which  only  high  chiefs 
could  use.  No  wonder  that  the  young  com- 
mander felt  some  pride  in  his  new  position,  as, 
after  receiving  the  king's  last  commands  and 
adieus,  his  eight  broad  paddles  swung  the 
craft  away  into  the  darkness,  the  warriors 
singing  a  war  song  to  which  their  strokes  kept 
time. 

Hookama's  course  was  due  east  for  about 
thirty  miles ;  then  southeast  for  sixty  more, 
with  Waipio  on  the  northern  shore  of  Hawaii 
as  his  destination. 

Kalaniopuu,  the  king  of  Hawaii,  had  lived 
all  his  life  in  the  midst  of  carnage;  he  had 
won  his  throne  by  being  victorious  in  civil 
strife.  In  the  final  battle,  being  told  that  his 
only  hope  of  victory  lay  in  the  killing  of  a 
priest  on  the  opposite  side  whose  prayers  and 
powers  prolonged  the  contest,  he  had  the 
priest  singled  out  and  slain  by  his  warriors. 
He  showed  great  cruelty  in  his  raids,  and  his 
captives,  men  and  women,  were  unmercifully 
beaten  on  their  heads  by  the  war-clubs  of  his 


HOOKAMA,  A  PRISONER  AT  HA  WAIL       147 

men.  Before  him,  neither  friend  nor  foe  could 
stand  without  balancing  the  chances  of  life  or 
death.  The  caprice  of  the  moment,  or  the  ex- 
pectation of  some  advantage  to  himself,  turned 
the  scale  in  favor  of  or  against  the  victim. 

When  then  Hookama,  who  knew  the  mots 
reputation,  saw  a  hundred  warriors,  armed 
with  spears,  awaiting  the  thud  of  his  canoe 
upon  the  beach  at  Waipio,  it  required  nerve 
of  the  steadiest  sort,  to  shoot  the  breakers  and 
to  leap  on  shore  without  a  weapon,  leaving  his 
warriors  in  the  boat,  with  orders  not  to  allow 
a  spear  or  a  dagger  to  appear  in  their  hands. 

Although  the  young  alii  had  not  yet  fully 
recovered  his  strength  of  body,  he  had  matured 
in  the  primitive  virtues  of  daring  and  endur- 
ance during  the  past  few  weeks.  Something 
large  had  come  into  his  nature,  the  manifesta- 
tion of  a  spirit  which  occasionally  appears  in 
those  whose  circumstances  seem  wholly  un- 
favorable to  such  a  development.  Not  that 
the  savage  was  eliminated,  but  in  place  of 
ferocity  like  that  of  wild  beasts,  there  was  a 
germ  of  self-respect ;  instead  of  recklessness,  a 
conscious  superiority  to  adverse  surroundings. 

It  was  therefore  with  an  elastic  step  and  a 
courageous  heart  that  Hookama  landed  soli- 
tary and  unarmed  at  Waipio,  for  the  voyage  had 
given  him  new  vigor  both  of  body  and  mind. 


i48  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

A  tall,  muscular  chief  met  him  as  he  set  foot 
on  the  sand,  and  demanded  his  business.  To 
this  gigantic  warrior,  whom  Hookama  recog- 
nized as  the  chief  that  had  felled  him  to  the 
ground  on  the  battle  field,  the  young  alii  re- 
plied that  he  sought  an  audience  with  the 
king. 

As  he  spoke,  he  removed  his  feather  helmet 
with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  threw 
back  his  cloak  and  displayed  on  his  broad 
breast  the  ivory  clasp,  the  token  of  his  high 
rank.  Then  pointing  to  the  scar  of  the  wound 
on  his  head,  he  said  :  "  Your  weapon  glanced 
when  you  struck  me  down  at  Wailuku,  noble 
chief,  or  my  visit  here  would  be  that  of  a  ghost 
seeking  revenge,  and  not,  as  it  is  to-day,  a  mis- 
sion of  peace." 

At  this  the  giant,  as  chivalrous  as  he  was 
brave,  held  out  both  hands,  which  Hookama 
took  in  both  of  his  own,  a  mode  of  salutation 
precluding  treachery,  and  the  two  men  touched 
noses  in  token  of  amicable  relations  between 
them,  at  least  for  the  time. 

Hookama's  warriors  were  then  allowed  to 
disembark,  and  two  of  them,  bearing  the  pres- 
ents to  the  king,  followed  the  two  chiefs  to  the 
royal  house,  the  others  remaining  on  shore, 
apparently  free,  but  really  under  guard.  Hook- 
ama himself,  as  he  well  knew,  was  in  reality  a 


HOOKAMA,  A  PRISONER  AT  HA  WAIL       149 

prisoner,  and  both  he  and  his  men,  on  this  hos- 
tile shore,  were  in  danger  of  imprisonment  or 
even  death,  if  the  king  of  the  island  should 
prove  unfriendly. 

The  old  king  was  on  the  broad  lanai  of 
his  house  when  the  little  company  arrived. 
He  was  a  lean,  hard  visaged  savage,  rather 
small  in  stature,  with  a  cool,  gray  eye,  and 
having  the  habit  of  expanding  and  contracting 
his  eyebrows,  which  gave  him  the  look  of  one 
whose  ferocity  might  break  forth  at  any  time 
in  terrible  earnest.  Woe  to  any  one  from 
whom  the  savage  chief  averted  his  eyes,  and  on 
whom  the  dread  sentence,  "  Face  down,"  was 
passed !  There  was  no  chance  of  reprieve 
when  once  the  fatal  words  were  spoken. 

Hookama  felt  that  the  king  was  not  a  pleas- 
ant object  to  contemplate.  He  had  just  been 
defeated  in  battle.  His  two  bands  of  choicest 
warriors  had  been  absolutely  obliterated,  and 
his  bitterest  foeman,  the  treacherous  Kahekili, 
was  master  of  Maui.  The  wounded  warriors, 
whom  he  had  brought  back  to  Hawaii,  were 
lying  yonder,  in  huts  just  over  river,  and  their 
women  were  sitting  in  black  tapa  before  the 
huts.  In  a  few  days  the  funeral  obsequies  of 
the  slain  were  to  be  celebrated,  an  occasion  call- 
ing for  more  human  victims,  whose  heads 
would  adorn  the  walls  of  the  heiau.  Under 


150  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

these  circumstances  it  was  by  no  means  a  safe 
or  pleasant  thing  to  have  audience  with  the 
baffled  and  cruel  tyrant. 

At  a  signal  from  the  king,  who  was  sur- 
rounded by  guards,  the  giant  warrior,  with 
Hookama  in  charge,  went  forward  leading  his 
prisoner,  who  prostrated  himself  as  was  the 
custom  of  the  land.  Being  commanded  to 
rise,  he  threw  off  his  feather  helmet  and  cloak, 
tightened  the  malo  on  his  loins,  and  stood 
before  the  wizened  little  man,  in  all  the  pride 
and  beauty  of  his  young  manhood. 

If  the  king  had  averted  his  face,  the  doom  of 
the  young  alii  would  have  been  sealed  ;  but  the 
king  had  other  reasons  for  deferring  sentence. 

"  Aha  !  "  exclaimed  the  king,  "  why  has 
the  king  of  Oahu  thrust  you  into  my  hands, 
just  when  I  want  victims  for  the  god  of  war? 
A  fine  thing  for  him  to  do  with  his  choicest 
fighter,  after  joining  against  me  with  that 
cursed  king  of  Maui !  " 

Hookama  met  the  scowling  face  and  threat- 
ening words  of  the  king,  with  steadfast  gaze, 
as  he  said  in  a  mild  voice  :  "  Noble  alii,  war- 
like deeds  have  no  part  in  my  embassy  to 
Hawaii.  May  I  present  to  your  motship 
Kahahana's  gifts,  which  he  sends  in  token  of 
his  high  respect  for  your  valor,  and  to  win 
your  favor  for  his  chief  bird-catcher,  who 


HOOKAMA,  A  PRISONER  AT  HAWAII.       151 

brings  in  his  hands  no  snares  for  men,  but 
only  traps  for  birds  ?  " 

The  king's  lip  curled  with  a  sneer  as  he 
replied,  "  Ha,  ha  !  A  bird-catcher  in  a  feather 
helmet  and  cloak !  A  fine  rig  for  such  ser- 
vice !  Do  you  trap  the  oo  and  the  mamo  on 
Oahu  with  their  own  feathers?  Kakuhaupio 
here,  tells  me  you  tried  to  catch  a  pretty  big 
bird  with  a  dagger  at  Wailuku  the  other  day  ; 
I'm  too  old  a  bird  to  be  caught  with  your 
sticky  gum  or  your  flowery  speech,"  and  the 
old  man  grinned  at  his  own  witticism,  looking 
around  to  see  if  his  followers  caught  the 
expression,  at  which  of  course  they  all  grimly 
smiled. 

Taking  advantage  of  the  favorable  moment, 
Hookama  quickly  turned  to  his  two  men  and 
took  the  presents,  which  he  laid  at  the  king's 
feet.  The  king  picked  up  the  carved  spear 
and  tested  its  sharp  point,  with  a  sly  word  to 
his  giant  warrior  about  poisoned  tips.  Then 
he  examined  the  costly  ivory  clasp,  as  he 
turned  it  over  in  his  skinny  hands,  and  said, 
"  My  mother  named  me  after  this  bauble  at 
my  birth  and  she  came  from  Oahu  ;  but  the 
Hawaiian  chiefs  changed  my  name.  It  was  a 
shrewd  thing  for  your  king  to  send  me  this 
gift." 

Finally,  he  examined  the  precious  feather 


152  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

cloak  and  placing  it  on  his  bony  shoulders, 
took  up  the  necklace  of  priceless  shells  and 
counted  on  his  fingers  the  number  of  them. 

"  That  is  for  the  comely  neck  of  your  majes- 
tic and  beautiful  queen,"  said  Hookama,  ven- 
turing a  remark  as  he  saw  the  king's  face 
lighten  up  while  gazing  at  the  ornament. 

"  Which  queen  ?  "  quickly  asked  the  king. 
"  Kalola,"  said  Hookama  on  the  instant ;  for 
he  knew  that  she  was  his  "  love-queen,"  and 
that  the  king  took  her  with  him  when  he  went 
on  his  raids. 

There  was  a  look  on  the  king's  face,  as  if  he 
saw  the  shrewdness  of  the  answer,  but  imme- 
diately the  fierce  scowl  returned,  for  he  needed 
victims  for  the  sacrifice  to  the  war-god,  far 
more  than  witty  speeches  and  rich  gifts.  The 
old  man  rested  his  elbows  on  his  knees  and 
held  his  head  in  his  hands,  as  he  fixed  his 
stern,  gray  eyes  on  the  handsome  youth,  mut- 
tering under  his  breath,  "  A  rare  prize  for 
the  altar,  and  eight  warriors  besides ;  what 
could  be  more  acceptable  to  the  great  blood- 
drinker?"  And,  without  changing  a  muscle 
of  his  face,  the  tyrant,  whose  first  thought  was 
to  appease  the  deity  who  seemed  angry  with 
him,  commanded,  "  Put  them  in  ward.  They 
must  die.  The  gods  so  will.  I  have  spoken." 

Then,  turning  to  Hookama,  "  You  may  ask 


HOOK  AM  A,  A  PRISONER  AT  HA  WAIL        1 53 

one  favor  before  you  are  slain.  It  shall  be 
granted,  but  it  must  not  be  a  request  to  live." 

Hookama,  with  folded  arms  and  a  proud 
bearing,  looked  into  the  cold  eyes  of  the  king, 
but  held  his  peace.  No  muscle  of  his  counte- 
nance quivered.  Not  a  nerve  of  his  compact 
frame  twitched. 

"  Make  the  request !  "  angrily  exclaimed  the 
king.  "  I  give  it  because  you  are  as  brave  as 
you  are  rash.  What  could  Kahahana  mean,  to 
send  you  here  ?  There  is  treachery  in  it." 

At  this  charge,  Hookama,  stung  to  the 
quick,  replied:  " There  is  no  treachery,  great 
king;  I  make  no  request." 

"  But  I  must  grant  you  one  ;  I  have  said  it." 

"  Then,  let  it  be  death  in  a  spear  contest 
with  your  bravest  warrior;  I  am  of  noble 
blood,"  and  he  glanced  at  two  stalwart  braves 
standing  near  the  king. 

"  So  be  it,"  said  the  king ;  "  lead  him  away, 
Kakuhaupio!  You  are  responsible  for  his  head 
with  your  own.  Throw  his  men — eight  of 
them,  did  you  say  ? — into  the  prison  ;  let  the 
spear  contest  be  this  very  day  ;  Kamehameha 
shall  hurl  the  death  blow.  He  will  not  need 
to  use  all  his  strength.  I  have  spoken,"  and 
the  king  went  into  his  royal  house,  with  totter- 
ing steps. 

The  savage  chief,  chosen   by  the   king  for 


'54 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER, 


the  antagonist  (or  executioner)  of  Hookama, 
was  the  warrior,  now  thirty-six  years  of  age, 
whose  fame  was  in  all  the  islands.  He  was 
named  "  The  Lonely  One "  (Kamehameha) 
and  he  it  was,  who  rescued  the  giant  from 
Hookama  and  his  band,  in  the  recent  battle  on 
Maui.  Within  a  score  of  years,  as  has  been 
said,  he  was  destined  to  become  master  of  all 
the  islands,  and  already,  as  nephew  of  the 
king  of  Hawaii,  he  held  large  possessions. 

Unprepossessing  in  appearance,  and  with  a 
harsh,  rugged  face,  "  he  was  so  strong  in  limb 
that  ordinary  men  were  but  children  in  his 
grasp ;  in  council,  the  wisest  yielded  to  his 
judgment;  he  was  barbarous,  unforgiving 
and  merciless  to  his  enemies,  but  just,  saga- 
cious and  considerate  in  dealing  with  his  sub- 
jects. He  was  more  feared  and  admired  than 
loved,  and  in  any  age  would  have  been  a 
leader." 

"Well,  stranger,"  said  this  burly  chief  to 
Hookama,  as  he  joined  him  and  his  giant 
keeper  on  their  way  to  the  latter's  dwelling, 
"  the  king,  my  gracious  uncle,  says  you  are 
chief  bird-catcher  to  the  mot  of  Oahu.  Me- 
thinks  you  listen  to  the  singing  of  javelins 
more  joyously  than  to  the  music  of  the  song- 
sters, although  both  wear  feathers.  Is  it  not 
so?" 


HOOK  AM  A,  A  PRISONER  AT  HAWAII.        155 

"  You  are  right,  my  alii"  replied  the  youth. 
"  The  ihe  (javelin)  is  pleasanter  to  my  ear  than 
the  iwi  (bird),  unless  my  doom  is  sealed  be- 
forehand, as  seems  now  to  be  the  case.  But, 
if  I  must  die  I  am  glad  it  will  be  by  the  hand 
of  the  mightiest  warrior  of  Hawaii." 

"Truly  sorry  am  I,"  rejoined  The  Lonely 
One,  "  to  be  chosen  for  this  office  ;  but  at 
least  I  save  you  from  the  hands  of  the  execu- 
tioner and  the  game  shall  be  fair,  I  promise 
you.  We  will  fight  as  warriors  and  not  as  an 
assassin  and  his  victim.  The  gods  so  will  it 
and  the  king  commands."  Then  he  turned  on 
his  heel  and  went  off  to  make  arrangements 
for  the  contest. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A   DUEL  WITH   SPEARS. 

A  SPACE  was  marked  off  for  the  spear-con- 
test between  Hookama  and  Kamehameha, 
and  every  advantage  of  ground  and  relative 
position  towards  the  sun  was  given  the  pris- 
oner. A  rude  platform  afforded  the  king  and 
his  body  guard  a  full  view  of  the  scene. 
Warriors  and  women  formed  a  semi-circle 
about  the  arena ;  drum-beaters  were  stationed 
near  the  king,  and  spearmen  stood  at  inter- 
vals to  keep  the  enclosure  free. 

Kamehameha  strode  into  the  arena,  and 
carelessly  tossed  six  javelins,  handed  to  him 
by  an  attendant,  into  the  air,  and  by  a  dex- 
trous movement  caught  them  as  they  fell. 
Hookama  came  forward  and  when  his  keeper, 
the  giant  warrior,  handed  him  six  javelins,  he 
tested  their  strength,  breaking  three  of  them, 
using  only  his  right  hand  in  doing  it. 


A  DUEL  WITH  SPEARS.  157 

The  two  combatants  abstained  from  the 
usual  taunts,  which  rival  chiefs  flung  at  each 
other  before  battle.  This  conflict  was  looked 
upon  by  Kamehameha  as  well  as  by  the  spec- 
tators, more  as  a  solemnity  with  a  foregone 
conclusion,  than  as  a  trial  of  skill.  It  was 
almost  as  if  they  had  assembled  to  witness  an 
execution. 

Some  of  the  Hawaiian  warriors,  who  looked 
on,  regarded  the  affair  as  a  matter  of  course, 
but  the  younger  braves  wore  doubtful  faces,  as 
if  their  sympathy  inclined  toward  the  intended 
victim.  If  he  had  been  one  of  the  king  of 
Maui's  warriors,  all  would  have  rejoiced  in  his 
death,  but  as  a  warrior  from  Oahu,  many 
deprecated  his  fate. 

Some  of  the  women,  who  had  lost  husbands 
and  sons  in  the  late  battles,  were  stolid  and 
accepted  the  sacrifice  as  a  just  vengeance  ; 
but  many  others,  especially  the  younger  ones, 
admired  the  handsome  young  athlete  and  were 
sorry  for  him  as  he  stepped  into  the  arena  with 
only  a  white  malo  about  his  loins  and  proudly 
confronted  his  massive  foe. 

Among  these  young  women  was  a  girl  of 
nine  or  ten  summers,  whose  dark  eyes,  even  at 
this  trying  moment,  attracted  Hookama's 
attention  as  he  walked  towards  his  position. 
She  was  a  bewitching  little  sprite,  with  raven 


158  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

locks,  a  supple  figure  and  clad  in  a  rich  tapa 
mantle,  flowers  covering  her  head  and  neck. 
She  stood  near  the  king  in  a  haughty  attitude, 
but  with  her  keen  eyes  full  of  sympathetic 
interest.  Hookama,  ever  susceptible  to  female 
charms,  even  though  displayed  by  a  mere 
child,  was  about  to  take  a  second  look  at  the 
proud  beauty,  when  he  caught  sight  of  the  tall 
figure  of  his  antagonist  and,  forgetting  all  else, 
strode  forward  to  meet  him. 

The  young  alii  was  allowed  to  throw  his  six 
javelins  first.  Then  he  must  stand  as  a  target 
for  the  six  spears  of  his  opponent.  If  he 
caught  or  parried  these,  (a  thing  which  the 
spectators  thought  to  be  impossible,)  even 
then  the  king  might  order  him  to  be  slain. 
Sometimes,  an  exceptional  display  of  skill  and 
courage  resulted  in  the  reprieve  of  the  victim. 
In  this  case,  however,  it  seemed  as  if  his  fate 
were  sealed  which  ever  way  the  contest  turned. 

Hookama  noticed,  as  he  advanced  towards 
The  Lonely  One,  that  the  eyes  of  the  warrior 
were  searching  the  crowd,  as  if  to  discern  the 
presence  of  some  one.  It  was  in  fact,  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  dark-eyed  maiden 
noticed  by  Hookama  that  the  warrior  turned 
his  gaze  away  from  the  young  alii .  But  it 
was  only  a  moment  before  Hookama  felt  the 
power  of  his  terrible  eyes  fastened  upon  him- 


A  DUEL  WITH  SPEARS.  159 

self,  and  when  at  the  signal  the  young  man 
threw  his  first  javelin  with  little  force,  as  if 
husbanding  his  strength,  the  big  chief  smiled 
as  he  caught  it  between  his  thumb  and  finger 
and  laid  it  on  the  ground. 

Before  Hookama  had  flung  his  fourth 
weapon,  Kamehameha  perceived  that  his 
antagonist  was  no  mean  opponent.  The  fifth 
taxed  the  warrior's  utmost  skill  in  parrying, 
and  when  the  sixth  hummed  through  the  air, 
it  was  only  by  the  most  agile  dodging  that  he 
escaped  its  point. 

As  it  was,  he  failed  to  catch  the  javelin, 
which  struck  the  earth,  entering  the  hard  soil 
the  full  length  of  the  tip.  The  warrior  bit  his 
lips  with  apparent  vexation  and  only  a  whole- 
some fear  of  his  wrath  prevented  the  chiefs  and 
warriors  that  stood  around  from  applauding 
the  stranger.  A  half-suppressed  laugh  from 
the  pretty  child  who  stood  near  the  king 
reached  the  big  chief's  ear  and  brought  an 
angry  flush  to  his  face,  which  boded  no  good 
to  the  young  man,  whose  prowess  the  little 
witch  had  so  unadvisedly  commended. 

The  good  sense  of  the  chief,  however,  gave 
him  control  of  himself,  and,  with  a  show  of 
magnanimity,  as  if  dealing  gently  with  the 
young  man,  he  hurled  the  first  spear  and 
the  second  in  such  a  way  that  if  they  were  not 


160  KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

caught  or  parried,  no  injury  would  be  inflicted 
by  them.  The  third  javelin  he  aimed  more 
directly  and  the  fourth  with  still  greater  pre- 
cision and  force.  All  these  Hookama  caught 
but  there  were  two  left  and  the  spectators 
held  their  breath,  fearing  that  the  young  alii 
might  not  be  able  to  catch  or  parry  them.  The 
feeling  throughout  the  assembly  was  intense. 

The  fifth  javelin,  coming  with  terrific  swift- 
ness, Hookama  avoided  by  a  quick  movement 
to  the  left,  but  as  it  passed  him  it  grazed  his 
shoulder,  inflicting  a  slight  wound.  The  sixth 
and  last  weapon  was  poised  and  there  was  a 
profound  hush,  as  the  crowd  watched  the  giant 
gather  himself  up,  by  a  supreme  effort  to  finish 
his  adversary. 

The  heavy  javelin  was  raised  aloft  by  his 
strong  hand.  The  muscles  of  his  arm  swelled 
with  the  tension  of  his  grasp  on  the  weapon. 
Then  leaning  backward  to  gain  the  utmost 
leverage,  the  mighty  chief,  with  all  the  tre- 
mendous force  of  his  huge  frame,  hurled  the 
spear  straight  at  the  breast  of  the  young  man, 
who  stood  firmly  on  his  feet  awaiting  the  dread 
missile. 

There  was  a  scream,  as  the  child  near  the 
king  fell  on  the  earth.  The  dust  from  the 
ground  where  Hookama  had  been  standing  rose 
in  a  little  cloud,  and  the  form  of  the  youth, 


A  DUEL  WITH  SPEARS.  \6\ 

prone  on  the  ground  face  forward,  lay  extended 
at  full  length. 

It  was  but  an  instant ;  and  before  the 
spectators  could  recover  their  breath  Hookama 
arose  and  without  the  movement  of  a  muscle 
of  his  face,  looked  first  at  the  child  who  had 
been  assisted  to  her  feet,  then  at  his  huge 
opponent,  who  immediately  came  forward 
and  took  him  by  both  hands. 

The  youth  had  not  caught  or  parried  the 
weapon,  but,  with  admirable  presence  of  mind, 
he  had  dropped,  when  the  javelin  was  in  mid- 
air, and  it  had  passed  over  his  head,  leaving 
him  unharmed.  It  was  a  display  of  coolness 
and  alertness,  which,  if  not  so  wonderful  as  the 
catching  or  parrying  of  the  spear,  was  a  feat 
of  which  few  were  capable.  The  women  and 
warriors  crowded  into  the  arena,  and  were 
giving  vent  to  their  admiration  of  the  stran- 
ger's bravery,  when  the  king's  harsh  voice  was 
heard,  commanding  Kakuhaupio,  who  stood  at 
his  left,  to  despatch  the  youth  offhand. 

The  shouts  of  the  crowd  about  Hookama 
subsided,  as  the  rasping  voice  of  the  king  fell 
upon  their  ears  ;  but  the  towering  form  of  the 
chief,  to  whom  the  royal  command  had  been 
given,  remained  motionless,  in  spite  of  the 
angry  glances  and  excited  gestures  of  the 
king. 


i62  KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

"  Your  august  motship,"  said  the  chief  in  a 
loud  tone,  "  I  am  your  loyal  servant,  but  I  am 
not  your  mu  (assassin).  Let  your  executioner 
perform  his  office !  "  and  the  speaker  looked 
unflinchingly  towards  the  king,  who  foamed  at 
the  mouth,  swore  vengeance  by  all  the  gods 
and  called  to  two  stalwart  spearmen  of  his 
guard  to  slay  the  young  man  or  take  the  con- 
sequences of  their  disobedience. 

The  men  sprang  forward,  but  were  met  by 
the  bulky  antagonist  of  Hookama,  who  waved 
them  back  with  his  spear.  The  king  cried  out 
in  his  fury,  exasperated  beyond  measure: 
"Treason!  Seize  the  traitors  and —  But 
before  he  could  finish  the  sentence,  Kameha- 
meha,  saying,  "  No  treason,  my  mot"  stepped 
to  his  side  and  whispered  words,  inaudible 
except  to  the  king's  ear.  The  effect  was  in- 
stantaneous and  surprising ;  the  king's  coun- 
tenance changed  from  wrath  to  astonishment. 
He  looked  into  the  warrior's  eyes  as  if  to  be 
reassured  of  the  truth  of  what  he  had  said,  and 
received  the  reply,  "  As  true  as  you  are  moi  of 
Hawaii." 

Before  the  king  could  formulate  a  further 
command,  from  the  other  side  he  heard  the 
voice  of  his  most  trusted  and  shrewdest  priest, 
who  also  spoke  to  him  in  an  undertone.  Then 
the  king  raised  his  head  and  in  words  tremu- 


A  DUEL  WITH  SPEARS.  163 

lous  with  excitement  ordered  Hookama  to  be 
bound  and  led  away  to  prison. 

"  See,"  said  he,  sternly,  "  that  a  double 
guard  be  placed  around  the  strong  cell ;  you 
will  answer  for  the  prisoner  with  your  heads." 

They  bound  Hookama's  arms  behind  his 
back  with  a  strong  cord,  and  leading  him  away, 
placed  him,  without  further  indignity,  in  a  small 
enclosure  reserved  for  prisoners  of  state. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

MENEHUNE,   THE   DWARF-GIANT. 

DAYS  and  weeks  passed  and  no  tidings 
came  to  Pu'  Aloha  at  Oahu  from  the  absent 
Hookama,  for  whom  she  longed.  The  old 
chief,  Numuku,  having  received  some  vague 
rumors,  which  he  interpreted  in  accordance 
with  his  own  wishes,  was  wary  and  showered 
every  favor  known  to  him  upon  his  poor 
victim,  who  saw  in  his  gifts  his  desire  to  keep 
up  her  spirits  till  her  lover's  return. 

She  seldom  spoke  of  Hookama  in  his  pres- 
ence and  when  she  did  talk  of  him,  he  man- 
aged to  hide  his  real  sentiments  and  started 
some  other  topic  of  conversation.  It  could 
hardly  be  called  "  conversation,"  inasmuch  as 
the  old  man  grunted  his  assent  in  most  cases 
and  let  the  girl  say  what  she  pleased. 

He  grew  more  and  more  fond  of  her,  after 
his  savage  fashion,  admiring  her  increasing 


MENEHUNE,  THE  DWARF-GIANT.  165 

roundness  and  amused  by  her  attentions  to 
himself.  She  made  much  of  him,  weaving 
fresh  leis  for  his  adornment  and  sending  her 
women  for  the  choicest  fruits,  which  he  gulped 
down,  with  the  gusto  of  a  gourmand.  Some- 
times in  the  evening,  when  he  stretched  him- 
self on  the  royal  mattings,  she  chatted  gaily  to 
him  of  the  little  incidents  of  her  daily  employ- 
ments and  sang  for  him  the  love-songs  of  the 
people.  It  was  remarkable  that  he  made  no 
amorous  advances,  but  perhaps  he  thought  the 
right  time  had  not  come. 

As  the  weeks  lengthened  into  months  and 
Hookama  did  not  come,  Pu'  Aloha's  heart 
grew  weary  of  waiting.  Each  sunset  she  stood 
looking  for  the  expected  canoe,  which  she  felt 
must  come  out  of  the  bright  glow  of  the  west ; 
and  it  was  on  one  of  these  days,  just  at  the 
quick  turn  of  twilight  into  a  cloudless  night, 
that  she  stood  as  we  have  depicted  her,  watch- 
ing, with  eyes  shadowed  by  her  hand,  that  she 
might  see  farther  towards  the  lessening  horizon. 
Intent  on  her  quest,  and  espying  a  speck  in 
the  far  distance  which  might  be  the  long- 
expected  approach  of  Hookama,  she  did  not 
hear  the  heavy  step  which  came  behind  her," 
and  her  name  was  twice  spoken  before  she 
turned  her  head. 

It  was  Numuku,  whose  eagle  eye  had  already 


166  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

discovered  the  dot  on  the  blue  expanse  of 
waves,  with  a  point  upwards  which  he  knew 
was  the  peculiar  tip  of  the  three-cornered 
sail  of  Hookama.  The  chief  had  come  hur- 
riedly to  the  brow  of  the  cliff,  to  spy  out  the 
thought  of  Pu'  Aloha,  to  whom  he  whispered 
as  he  came  near,  "  I  think  'tis  he  ;  now  go  and 
be  happy.  Your  Hookama  [he  almost  hissed 
the  word],  will  be  here  before  the  white  crests 
of  the  reef  are  lost  in  the  darkness." 

As  the  night  came  on  with  the  least  possible 
twilight,  he  gently  took  the  young  girl's  hand, 
and  together  they  slowly  walked  towards  the 
houses  of  the  women.  Pu'  Aloha  trembled  as 
he  left  her,  bidding  her  sleep  to-night  and 
wake  in  the  morning  to  embrace  her  lover. 
In  a  tremor  of  excitement  she  obeyed  and 
went  to  her  own  house,  where  her  servants 
were  squatting  outside  the  low  door,  and  then, 
dismissing  them,  she  loosened  the  folds  of  her 
pau  and  flung  herself  down,  not  to  sleep  but 
to  dream — the  waking  dream  of  innocent  love 
and  hope,  now  almost  a  reality. 

The  chief  quickened  his  strides  as  she  dis- 
appeared, and  sent  for  one  of  his  most  trusted 
inferior  chiefs,  to  whom  with  stern  voice  he 
gave  command  to  send  a  party  with  spears  to 
transfix  any  stranger,  coming  through  the 
opening  in  the  reef,  whether  swimming  or  in  a 


MENEHUNE,  THE  DWARF-GIANT.  167 

canoe ;  he  added  fiercely,  "  Bring  his  head  to 
the  heiau  and  leave  his  body  to  the  sharks." 
On  pain  of  his  utmost  displeasure,  he  com- 
manded him  to  watch  the  whole  night  rather 
than  fail  of  his  errand.  He  warned  him  not 
to  enter  his  presence,  if  the  man  he  was  to  kill 
was  not  slain.  He  threatened  him  with  the 
dread  sentence  "  Down  face,"  if  he  failed,  and 
almost  shouted  with  anger,  as  he  answered 
"Hookama!"  to  the  man's  question  who  the 
victim  was,  that  he  was  to  kill. 

In  her  house,  lying  quietly  and  looking  up 
at  the  stars,  through  a  crevice  in  the  thatched 
roof,  Pu'  Aloha  heard  that  name,  faintly  borne 
by  the  light  wind  to  her  ears,  and  the  hot 
blood  coursed  through  her  veins  and  mounted 
to  her  cheeks,  as  the  sound  seemed  to  tell  her, 
by  invisible  messenger,  that  her  beloved  was 
near  at  hand.  With  a  prayer  to  the  goddess, 
the  protector  of  virgins,  she  at  last  fell  asleep. 

No  one  had  seen  a  pair  of  glittering  eyes, 
belonging  to  a  queer  head,  peering  out  from  a 
bunch  of  cactus  only  a  few  feet  high  and 
growing  near  the  chief's  house,  where  he  had 
given  his  orders  to  the  assassin ;  but  Mene- 
hune's  ears  were  long  though  his  body  was 
short ;  his  heart  was  in  the  right  place,  if  his 
mouth  was  somewhat  awry  ;  and  he  had  scented 
mischief  when  he  heard  his  master  order  the 


168  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

men  to  the  reef.  When  the  name  of  Hookama 
vibrated  in  the  air,  he  knew  what  it  meant  to 
Pu'  Aloha,  but  he  lay  low  till  the  chief  had 
turned  into  his  house ;  then,  slipping  along 
close  to  the  ground,  he  crept  out  of  the 
enclosure  under  a  patch  of  broad  banana 
plants,  and  once  in  the  open  ran  like  a  deer 
for  the  beach,  where  he  ensconsed  himself  in 
a  snug  hole  in  the  sand,  which  he  scooped  out 
far  enough  from  the  scene  of  action  to  be 
unobserved  by  any  of  the  natives  watching 
the  inlet  through  the  reef.  The  tide  was  com- 
ing in  and  the  dwarf  grinned  as  he  felt  the 
muscles  of  his  legs  and  knew  what  they  could 
do  in  swimming  and  running,  and  of  his  arms, 
strangely  attached  to  his  sturdy  body,  but  equal 
to  any  arms  of  a  more  symmetrical  trunk. 

Nobody  knew  whether  he  was  called  a  dwarf 
because,  when  he  stood  up,  he  was  taller  than 
other  natives,  or  because,  when  he  sat  down, 
he  was  much  shorter ;  but  perhaps  the  term 
dwarf-giant,  by  which  he  was  sometimes  known, 
would  be  more  appropriate. 

Menehune,  though  a  clown  with  many  of 
the  peculiarities  of  an  animal,  had  a  native 
shrewdness  which  resembled  the  instinct  of  a 
dog.  There  was  something  merry  and  wag- 
gish about  him,  too.  He  was  full  of  pranks 
and  antics.  He  could  climb  a  cocoa-nut  tree 


MENEHUNE,  THE  DWARF-GIANT.  169 

for  the  fruit  like  a  monkey ;  crack  the  nut  with 
one  hand ;  swing  around  crags  where  no  one 
else  dared  to  venture  ;  the  superstitions  of  the 
tribes  had  no  meaning  for  him ;  his  head  could 
not  go  far  enough  in  that  direction  to  see  the 
reason  for  the  performances  in  the  heiau,  but 
he  could  look  on  and  wonder  what  it  was  all 
about. 

The  ugly  heads  of  protecting  images  along 
the  outside  wall  of  the  priest's  enclosure  had  a 
queer  fascination  for  him.  Perhaps  he  saw  a 
certain  resemblance,  in  the  hideous  shapes  and 
faces,  to  himself.  At  any  rate,  he  was  not 
afraid  of  them,  nor  overawed  by  them  as  other 
natives  were.  Once  he  had  a  freak,  during  a 
sacrificial  ceremony  which  was  performed  by 
night,  and  climbed  up  and  seated  himself  be- 
tween two  of  the  ugliest  of  them,  squatting 
down  as  if  one  of  the  spectral  conclave.  It 
tickled  him  immensely  when  several  of  the  un- 
derlings passed  by  without  recognizing  him  in 
the  gloaming,  and  ever  after,  when  he  wanted 
amusement,  he  took  his  seat  among  the  gods. 
He  even  conceived  the  idea  of  taking  the 
place  of  one  of  the  idols,  which  he  lifted  off  the 
wall  and  hid  in  the  bushes,  while  he  sat  mo- 
tionless, with  all  the  gravity  and  hideousness 
of  a  worthy  substitute. 

At  such  times  he  carried  with  him  some  red 


1 70  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

and  black  paint,  which  he  had  stolen,  and  with 
which  he  smeared  himself  into  quite  a  striking 
resemblance  to  the  deity  whose  function  he 
had  temporarily  usurped.  He  certainly  was 
far  more  worthy  of  worship,  and  could  have 
defended  the  heiau  more  valiantly  than  the 
painted  wooden  stumps  humped  on  the  broad 
parapet  of  loose  stones. 

Leaving  Mene'  to  his  own  musings  in  the 
sand-hole,  which  gradually  filled  with  water  as 
the  tide  came  in,  we  catch  a  last  glimpse,  for 
this  eventful  night,  of  Numuku,  who,  after  his 
cruel  mandate  had  gone  forth,  entered  his  own 
door  and  hung  a  piece  of  tapa  before  the  open- 
ing. There  the  savage  nursed  his  hatred  and 
wrath,  which  were  soon,  as  he  believed,  to  be 
appeased  by  the  death  of  his  rival.  Like  a 
fierce  tiger  he  rolled  over  and  over  on  the 
figured  mats,  gnashing  the  teeth  that  were  left 
to  him,  and  praying,  after  the  imprecatory 
style,  to  Lono,  Pele,  and  all  the  wrathful  dei- 
ties, to  make  his  plans  succeed. 

On  the  beach  at  Waikiki  the  sound  of  the 
breakers  was  louder  than  usual,  for  a  stiff 
breeze  was  blowing  from  the  sea,  and  dark 
clouds  after  the  sun  had  set  filled  the  western 
sky.  The  crest  of  Leahi  (Diamond  Head) 
stood  forth  in  gloomy  majesty,  as  the  spray  of 
the  waves  was  flung  over  the  rocks  at  its  base. 


MENEHUNE,  THE  DWARF-GIANT.  171 

Menehune  crouched  in  his  sand-hole  and 
watched  the  white  line  of  the  shore,  where  dark 
figures  ran  to  different  points  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  any  object  appearing  on  the  billows 
as  they  rolled  tumultuously  toward  the  beach. 
He  kept  a  sharp  eye  also  out  to  sea,  as  he 
chuckled  to  himself  at  the  thought  of  outwit- 
ting the  wily  alii,  whose  murderous  designs  he 
had  discovered. 

The  storm  came  rapidly  from  the  south,  as  if 
the  god  of  the  winds  had  uncovered  the  cavern- 
ous gourd  in  which  it  was  believed  he  held  the 
blast,  letting  loose  the  fury  of  a  tempest.  At 
last  the  dwarf's  eager  search  was  rewarded  by 
the  sight  of  a  canoe  at  a  long  distance  outside 
the  foamy  reef.  It  was  a  mere  speck,  hardly 
discernible  by  the  sharpest  eye.  It  had  no 
sail,  and  whether  it  contained  a  human  being 
or  not  was  a  matter  of  conjecture.  There  was 
no  possibility  that  if  it  had  an  occupant  he 
could  pass  the  breakers  in  it,  much  less  find 
the  one  inlet  through  which  in  calm  weather  it 
was  safe  to  pass.  The  dark  watchers  along  the 
beach  had  lighted  a  fire  to  illure  the  imperilled 
mariner  toward  the  entrance. 

They  knew  he  could  not  stay  in  the  canoe 
in  the  midst  of  the  squall,  but  as  Hookama 
was  a  mighty  swimmer  perhaps  he  could  reach 
the  shore  alive  ;  they  sought  to  attract  him,  in 


172  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

such  a  case,  to  that  part  of  the  beach  where 
they  could  despatch  him  in  his  half-drowned 
condition,  or  easily  find  his  body  if  it  were 
washed  ashore.  They  hoped  that  the  god  of 
the  sea  would  save  them  the  trouble  of  engag- 
ing in  a  struggle  with  such  a  powerful  fighter, 
even  though  exhausted  in  his  contest  with  the 
waves. 

But  they  congratulated  themselves  that  he 
was  only  one,  while  they  were  ten  stout  war- 
riors, every  one  armed  with  a  spear. 

Their  eyes  were  so  intent  upon  the  limited 
space  where  such  an  experienced  sailor  as 
Hookama  would  attempt  to  land,  that  they 
regarded  the  southern  circle  of  the  shore  with 
less  scrutiny.  Besides  they  had  seen  the 
canoe  once  or  twice  as  it  rose  on  the  highest 
crests  and  always  nearly  opposite  the  point 
where  they  stood  watching. 

The  storm  increased  every  moment  in  vio- 
lence. It  was  one  of  those  fearful  tornadoes 
which  occasionally  swept  over  the  islands  with 
great  power,  coming  up  rapidly  and  accom- 
panied with  more  or  less  of  tidal  phenomena 
and  a  trembling  of  the  earth. 

It  was  at  the  very  height  of  this  tornado, 
with  vivid  flashes  of  lightning  and  the  rolling 
of  thunder,  that  Menehune,  quaking  with  fear 
at  the  unusual  manifestations  about  him, 


MENEHUNE,  THE  DWARF-GIANT.  173 

lifted  his  head  out  of  the  hole  in  the  sand  and 
saw,  far  off  in  the  sea,  as  a  flash  of  extraordi- 
nary brilliancy  lighted  up  the  entire  horizon, 
an  immense  wall  of  dark  water,  apparently 
rolling  in  towards  the  reef.  It  was  not  sur- 
mounted by  the  usual  white  foam  ;  but  when 
it  reached  the  coral  rocks,  it  rolled  completely 
over  them  and  in  a  surge  of  boiling  spume, 
rushed  with  a  loud  roar  over  the  shallow  spaces 
towards  the  land. 

There  was  no  time  for  the  dwarf  to  escape 
it,  even  if  he  had  kept  his  wits  about  him,  and, 
dumbfounded  as  he  was,  the  immense  mass 
struck  him  before  he  could  even  rise  upon  his 
feet,  lifting  him  like  a  feather  and,  carrying 
him  far  beyond  the  straggling  line  of  bushes 
back  from  the  beach  into  a  low-lying  thicket  a 
hundred  yards  inland,  left  him  half-drowned, 
clinging  to  a  small  tree  top,  bent  to  the  ground 
by  the  violence  of  the  onset.  Fortunately  for 
him,  his  involuntary  clutch  upon  the  tree  saved 
him  from  the  less  powerful  thrust  with  which 
a  second  volume  of  water,  following  hard  after 
the  first,  struck  him  and  took  away  what 
breath  he  had  left.  It  was  like  one  of  the 
tidal  waves,  not  so  tremendous  and  destructive 
as  sometimes  swept  over  the  Hawaiian  coasts, 
but  sufficiently  strong  and  high  to  break  sev- 
eral of  the  cocoa-nut  palms,  hundreds  of  feet 


174  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

away  from    the   beach,  which  had  withstood 
the  storms  of  half  a  century. 

When  Menehune  came  to  himself,  lying  in 
the  sand  and  ooze  and  seaweed  which  the 
refluence  of  the  waves  had  left,  he  was  too 
startled  and  exhausted  to  extricate  himself  at 
once.  The  jungle,  in  the  midst  of  which  he 
was  lying,  with  its  tangled  growth  of  young 
trees,  vines  and  bushes,  was  beaten  flat,  a 
thickset,  compressed  mass,  the  supple  stems  of 
the  plants  and  trees  having  yielded  to  the  force 
of  the  wave.  He  lay  in  the  center  of  the  mass, 
covered  with  slimy  debris,  stupified  for  a  mo- 
ment. Soon,  the  dogged  pluck  of  his  nature 
returned  to  him,  and  by  a  strong  effort  he  dis- 
engaged himself,  his  long  legs  greatly  assisting 
his  exertions.  His  first  thought  was  of  Hook- 
ama  ;  what  had  become  of  him  ? 

Fearful  as  he  now  was  of  the  sea's  angry 
might,  he  yet  mastered  his  terror  in  his  anxiety 
to  know  the  worst  concerning  his  friend.  He 
stood  on  the  shore  straining  his  eyes,  as  flashes 
of  lightning  came,  to  discover  any  object 
thrown  on  shore  by  the  waves,  but  keeping  a 
good  lookout  towards  the  horizon  lest  the 
great  wave  should  return.  He  ran  up  and 
down  the  beach  which  was  hollowed  out  in 
places  and  heaped  up  in  huge  piles  of  sand. 
The  soles  of  his  feet  slipped  on  thousands  of 
fishes  flung  on  the  shore,  but  not  a  trace  of 


MENEHUNE,  THE  DWARF-GIANT.  175 

any  living  creature  could  he  discover  and  no 
object  as  large  as  a  human  body,  except  one 
immense  sea  monster,  which  lay  wriggling  and 
gasping,  but  which  he  did  not  even  think  of 
stopping  to  examine. 

After  he  had  made  sure  that  there  was  noth- 
ing for  him  to  do  but  to  go  back  to  his  home 
in  Nuuanu  Valley,  he  found  a  gap  through 
which  he  could  reach  a  field  and  so  gain  the 
path  by  the  plains  to  which  he  was  accustomed. 

The  storm  still  raged,  but  its  greatest  force 
was  abated.  Occasional  gleams  of  lightning 
helped  him  find  his  way.  He  stumbled  on 
and  was  nearly  to  the  line  where  the  tidal 
wave  had  spent  its  flow,  when  in  the  glare  of  a 
vivid  flash  he  saw  a  lumpish  mass,  lying  in  his 
way. 

Seeing  that  it  was  a  human  body,  without 
stopping  to  think  whether  it  might  be  one  of 
the  spearmen  or  any  other,  his  one  idea  being 
Hookama,  he  lifted  the  limp  form  without 
examining  it  and  slinging  it  over  his  broad 
back  hurried  on  in  the  darkness  to  gain  a  safe 
place  where  he  might  deposit  the  load.  With 
his  great  strength  he  easily  carried  the  body, 
that  seemed  to  grow  warm  in  contact  with  his 
own  flesh,  and,  though  he  tripped  now  and 
then,  he  reached  a  grassy  slope  under  a  clump 
of  trees  and  put  the  inanimate  form  on  the 
ground. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

AN  ASTONISHED   DEITY. 

THE  dwarf  was  utterly  aghast  as  he  stood 
over  the  body,  looking  down  at  it  and  seeing, 
when  the  forked  lightning  threw  upon  it  a 
fitful  glare,  that  it  was  a  woman. 

His  disappointment  because  it  was  not 
Hookama  made  him  recoil  for  an  instant  from 
the  object  at  his  feet,  which  somehow  he  felt 
had  cheated  him  of  his  prize. 

Soon  forgetting  his  first  impulse  to  leave 
the  body  to  the  scavenger  birds,  he  stooped 
down,  partly  out  of  curiosity  and  partly  with 
the  instinct  of  humanity,  and  feeling  with  his 
hands,  perceived  that  the  woman  was  alive. 
The  signs  of  life  were  very  feeble  pulsations  of 
the  heart ;  the  limbs  were  cold  and  the  skin 
was  clammy,  but  as  he  rubbed  and  kneaded 
the  body,  he  at  last  heard  a  moan  and  felt  a 
slight  tremor  of  the  muscles. 


AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY.  177 

He  had  brought  the  woman  to  this  resting 
place  in  a  most  rugged  manner,  with  head  and 
chest  hanging  down,  so  that  the  sea  water, 
which  filled  her  lungs,  had  run  out,  and  the  very 
jolting  of  the  rough  porterage  had  been  of  use 
in  her  resuscitation.  It  was  a  miracle  that 
she  was  alive  at  all ;  either  the  tidal  wave  had 
caught  her  on  the  beach,  or,  what  was  barely 
possible,  if  she  had  been  the  occupant  of  the 
canoe,  the  gigantic  wall  of  water  might  have 
lifted  her  over  the  reef  and  brought  her  on  its 
mighty  crest  to  the  shore. 

Seeing  that  the  woman  lived,  the  dwarf 
renewed  his  exertions,  the  rain  still  falling  in 
torrents,  till,  by  and  by,  partial  consciousness 
returned  and  the  woman  opened  her  eyes, 
closed  them,  and  breathing  regularly  moved 
her  legs  as  if  in  pain. 

Menehune  was  in  doubt  what  to  do  next, 
but  remembering  that  there  was  a  cave,  at  the 
base  of  the  cliff  Leahi,  (Diamond  Head)  which 
jutted  out  into  the  sea,  he  determined  to 
carry  the  woman  there,  and  wait  till  the  storm 
was  over.  This  time  he  took  her  up  more 
gently  and  carried  her  with  one  of  his  arms 
around  her  waist  and  the  other  about  her 
lower  limbs,  with  her  head  resting  on  his  left 
shoulder.  It  was  quite  a  distance,  but  the 
dwarf  had  found  the  trail  which  he  well  knew 


178  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

and  at  last  deposited  his  burden  just  within 
the  opening  of  the  cave,  and  sat  down  on  the 
ground  to  rest. 

He  was  no  expert  in  the  lomi  process  which 
he  had  administered  ;  his  pounding  and  pinch- 
ing were  rather  severe  ;  he  had  left  the  torn 
tapa  cloth  around  the  woman's  waist  where  it 
had  been  tightly  bound  with  a  cord ;  and 
now,  as  he  sat  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  he 
wondered  if  he  ought  to  continue  the  exercise 
in  order  to  restore  the  woman  wholly. 

He  squatted  beside  her;  took  hold  of  her 
hand  and  as  the  lightning's  brilliant  glow 
illuminated  the  place  from  time  to  time,  he 
felt  of  her  fingers  one  by  one  and  tried  the 
joints;  drawing  through  his  big  hands  the 
long  locks  of  her  dark  hair,  he  gathered  them 
in  two  bunches  and  spread  them  carefully  over 
her  neck  and  bosom. 

He  had  rolled  the  body  over  and  over  like  a 
log,  when  he  was  working  at  the  inanimate 
form.  He  had  squeezed  the  muscles  as  he 
would  have  pinched  a  banana,  or,  perchance,  a 
dog — but  now  that  consciousness  had  returned 
to  what  had  been  only  a  substance  to  be  han- 
dled, the  woman  became  a  reality  to  him  ; 
something  to  be  treated  as  he  had  treated  his 
mistress  Pu'  Aloha  ;  to  be  touched,  if  at  all, 
with  a  sort  of  reverence. 


AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY.  179 

Menehune  had  never  before  known  the  sen- 
sation of  holding  a  woman's  hand  in  his  own. 
So  far  as  any  palpable  contact  was  concerned, 
he  was  wholly  without  experience.  The  wo- 
men of  the  chief's  enclosure,  who  let  him  play 
around  like  a  sort  of  pet  animal,  regarded  him 
as  a  senseless  creature,  with  a  sort  of  canine 
attachment  to  his  friends. 

But  now,  a  new  sensation  came  to  him  ;  a 
vivid,  acute  feeling,  at  first  like  a  twinge  of 
pain  ;  then  something  akin  to  the  satisfaction 
he  had  felt  while  basking  in  the  sunshine.  It 
was  the  dawning  of  a  rude  sentiment  in  his 
nature,  which  changed  him  ever  after  from  a 
loutish,  clownish  animal  with  affectionate  in- 
stincts, into  a  perceptive  soul,  alive  to  experi- 
ences in  which  the  higher  faculties  find  play 
and  development.  The  glimmer  of  the  new 
light  was  feeble,  but  the  dawn  would  deepen, 
even  if  it  never  came  to  perfect  day,  in  his 
simple  soul. 

The  storm  still  raged  without.  The  dwarf, 
revolving  vaguely  his  new  sensations  in  his 
feeble  mind,  took  his  usual  attitude,  with  his 
knees  higher  than  his  head,  and  waited  pa- 
tiently, watching  the  slightest  movement  of 
the  woman  as  the  light  came  at  intervals 
through  the  entrance  of  the  cave. 

Turning  at  last  uneasily   and   flinging   her 


i8o  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

arms  above  her  head,  an  action  which  caused 
the  blood  to  circulate  more  freely,  the  woman 
opened  her  eyes,  looked  about  her  with  a 
dreamy  gaze,  and  tried  to  sit  up.  Instantly 
Menehune  was  at  her  side,  and  placed  her 
body  in  a  leaning  posture  against  a  stone 
which  jutted  from  the  side  of  the  cave;  then 
he  resumed  his  former  posture,  and  fixed  his 
eyes  upon  her. 

The  young  woman  tried  to  pierce  the  gloom, 
which  was  now  and  then  illumined  by  a  flash 
of  lightning.  She  could  dimly  discern  the  un- 
couth figure  silently  staring  at  her,  with  knees 
and  head  like  the  idols  she  had  seen  on  the 
walls  of  her  father's  heiau. 

The  trembling  of  the  earth  and  the  strange 
noises  within  the  cavern,  like  the  wailing  notes 
of  imprisoned  voices,  blended  with  the  rever- 
berating thunder-peals  without ;  and  altogether 
the  effect  on  the  girl's  half  paralyzed  brain  was 
overpowering.  She  shut  her  eyes,  but  even 
the  anxiety  created  by  the  situation  could  not 
keep  her  from  venturing  a  look,  now  and  then, 
at  the  grotesque  being  whose  eyes  gleamed 
like  a  basilisk's.  Seeing  him  remain  as  still  as 
if  cut  out  of  stone,  she  became  more  tranquil 
in  his  presence,  and  at  last  was  emboldened  to 
break  the  oppressive  silence. 

Covering  her  face  with  her  hands  almost  in- 


AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY.  181 

voluntarily,  with  a  tremulous  voice  she  said : 
"  Dear  god !  tell  me,  I  beg;  am  I  in  heaven  or 
hell  ?  What  god  are  you  ?  " 

Having  put  these  leading  questions,  as  if 
frightened  at  her  own  audacity  in  speaking  to 
the  only  real,  living  and  present  god  she  had 
ever  known,  she  sank  back  against  the  wall. 

The  sound  of  the  woman's  voice,  which  had 
conveyed  little  meaning  to  his  ears,  brought 
the  dwarf-giant  again  into  the  realm  of  his 
former  consciousness  and  he  tumbled  himself 
into  a  heap  at  her  feet,  as  he  was  accustomed 
to  do  in  Pu'  Aloha's  presence.  Then,  with 
the  return  of  the  new  feeling  which  his  recent 
experience  had  awakened  (a  sort  of  reverent 
regard  for  a  higher  being  than  himself,)  he 
prostrated  himself  before  her,  making  a  still 
more  extraordinary,  amorphous  spectacle  of 
himself. 

His  gaunt,  misproportioned  body,  with  his 
monstrous  legs  and  bulging  joints  sprawling 
behind  him,  seemed  even  more  than  ever  in 
harmony  with  the  girl's  idea  of  a  deity,  such 
as  she  was  accustomed  to  imagine.  Trembling 
with  a  new  anxiety,  her  agitation  increased  as 
she  almost  shrieked:  "  Do  not  spring  at  me, 
O,  Kane  ;  "  she  thought  his  attitude  that  of 
one  preparing  to  leap  on  a  victim.  "  Only  tell 
me  which  god  you  are  and  I'll  be  your  slave; 


182  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

serve  you  ;  feed  you  ;  bring  you  squid,  any- 
thing. Don't  kill  me,  I  beg,  I  pray "  and 

she  clasped  her  hands  in  an  attitude  of  intense 
supplication. 

The  cave  shook  with  a  louder  peal  of  thun- 
der and  the  dwarf,  too  simple  to  see  the  ab- 
surdity of  it  all,  cried  out,  in  a  shrill  voice  as  if 
to  overcome  the  noise  of  the  elements,  "  Me 
no  Kane  !  me  Menehune,  Menehune."  The 
girl  mistook  his  name,  which  she  heard  only  in 
part,  owing  to  his  thick  utterance  and  the 
loud  clap  of  thunder,  and  thinking  he  had  said 
mali-u  (the  word  for  a  deified,  deceased  chief), 
she  fell  on  her  knees  and  pleaded  with  the 
supposed  incarnation  of  a  warrior's  ghost  to 
spare  her  from  the  "  oven,"  in  which,  she  had 
been  taught,  the  spirits  of  departed  chiefs  in 
Hades  cooked  those  who  descended  whole  ; 
that  is,  without  their  flesh  having  been  sepa- 
rated from  their  bones  at  burial. 

Menehune  was  sadly  nonplussed  at  the 
attitude  she  assumed  and  did  not  understand 
what  she  meant  to  say ;  but  hearing  the  word, 
"  oven,"  he  thought  she  was  hungry ;  so  up  he 
jumped  and  ran  out  into  the  storm  as  fast  as 
his  legs  could  carry  him.  Near  by  was  a  tall 
cocoa-nut  palm,  which  nodded  its  plumes 
violently  at  him,  as,  with  the  agility  of  a  mon- 
key, he  climbed  and  brought  down  a  nut ; 


AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY.  183 

cracking  the  shell  on  a  stone,  he  carried  it  to 
the  trembling  captive  in  the  cave  and  deposited 
it  in  her  lap. 

During  the  "  deified  chief's  "  absence  the 
young  woman  had  settled  back  to  await  de- 
velopments, in  great  perplexity  and  anxiety, 
not  knowing  whether  or  not  her  new  master 
had  gone  to  heat  the  oven  in  which  she  was  to 
be  cooked.  When  he  brought  the  cocoa-nut 
and  gave  it  to  her  she  was  somewhat  relieved, 
and  when  he  said,  "  Eat,"  her  first  exclama- 
tions were  the  natural  queries  of  an  Hawaiian 
woman,  "  Do  the  gods  let  wahines  eat  before 
them  ?  Can  women  have  cocoa-nuts  in  hea- 
ven?" (A  fruit  tabu  to  them  on  earth.) 

No  wonder  that  the  poor  thing  was  dazed, 
almost  crazy  and  sadly  demoralized  by  what 
she  had  been  through.  She  was  drenched 
and  had  been  half  drowned  ;  and  now  the 
tempest,  the  gloomy,  resounding  cavern,  the 
thunder  and  lightning  and  more  than  all  this 
creature,  half-monster,  half-man,  as  seen  in  the 
fitful  flashes,  unsettled  the  little  reason  she  had 
left.  Disregarding  her  question,  Menehune 
held  the  cocoa-nut  to  her  mouth ;  made  a 
gesture  for  her  to  drink,  and  when  she  had 
drained  the  reviving  draught,  being  assured 
that  after  all  she  might  still  be  living  in  her 
usual  fleshly  tenement,  she  put  another  ques- 


184  KELEA  :   THE  SURF-RIDER. 

tion  to  the  dwarf,  this  time  in  a  more  natural 
tone  of  voice,  and  asked  him,  "  Where  am  I  ?  " 
His  only  answer  was  "  Cave." 

Again  when  she  said  "  Oahu  ?  "  she  got  no 
reply,  for  Menehune  never  before  had  heard  or 
known  the  name  of  the  island  on  which  he  was 
born.  She  tried  other  words,  but  there  was  no 
intelligent  response  and  it  reassured  her  to 
think  the  "  god "  was  perhaps  only  a  half- 
witted fool. 

The  storm  cleared  away  as  suddenly  as  it 
came  on.  Two  hours  after  midnight  the  sky 
was  clear  of  clouds  and  the  stars  shone  with 
unusual  brightness.  Light  came  in  at  the 
cavern's  mouth  and  Kelea  had  the  first  full 
view  of  the  dwarf,  standing  outside  in  the  star- 
light, whom  she  had  before  seen  only  in 
shadow. 

She  saw  at  once  that  she  had  been  frightened 
without  cause.  The  grotesque  figure  did  not 
appear  to  be  formidable  at  all,  although  she 
had  never  met  such  a  creature  in  her  life.  She 
took  in  the  situation  in  a  moment  and  when 
Menehune  came  to  her  in  a  quiet  way  as  if  to 
receive  her  commands,  all  her  courage  and  self- 
possession  returned. 

Stepping  out  under  the  stars  she  took  an 
attitude  of  dignity  and  repose  ;  she  made  signs 
indicating  that  she  had  come  far  over  the  sea, 


AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY.  185 

and  when  Menehune,  showing  more  compre- 
hension, pointed  to  a  collection  of  huts,  Kelea 
said  "  Mauka  \  "  (towards  the  mountains,)  and 
holding  out  her  tattered  skirt,  added  "  Pan  " 
(petticoat)  :  She  wanted  him  to  understand 
that  he  must  take  her  to  the  hills  and  that  she 
needed  a  larger  sample  of  tapa  around  her 
waist. 

The  dwarf  was  really  abashed  and  timid  in 
her  presence,  after  she  resumed  her  natural 
manner.  When,  in  a  little  while,  he  found  her 
kind  he  began  to  understand  better  what  she 
tried  to  tell  him.  After  a  time,  her  gesticula- 
tions proved  more  effectual  than  her  ejacula- 
tions, and  the  dwarf  picked  her  up  in  his  arms 
and  started  in  the  direction  she  indicated.  The 
ground  was  strewed  with  fallen  branches,  heaps 
of  stones,  and  earth  which  the  torrent  had 
brought  down  the  sides  of  Leahi,  so  that 
Menehune  stumbled  along,  sometimes  nearly 
falling;  finally,  he  put  the  woman  on  the 
ground  and  grunted  out  " Auwe\  auwe\" 
(Alas,  alas),  as  if  it  were  useless  to  try  to  go  on 
after  that  fashion. 

Motioning  him  to  get  down  on  his  knees, 
Kelea  mounted  his  shoulders,  and  placing  her- 
self astride  of  his  neck,  held  by  his  head  and  he 
crossed  his  arms  over  her  limbs  in  front.  The 
good-natured  fellow,  with  a  guffaw,  which 


i86  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

showed  that  he  took  in  the  situation,  at  once 
started  off  with  steady  step,  and  Kelea,  all 
unwittingly,  thus  inaugurated  the  fashion 
which  Hawaiian  women  eagerly  adopted,  when 
years  afterwards  horses  were  introduced  into 
the  islands. 

There  was  not  a  four-footed  animal  on  any 
of  the  islands,  except  dogs,  swine,  lizards  and 
mice,  until  Vancouver,  in  1793,  landed  a  bull, 
a  cow  and  afterwards  some  sheep. 

The  general  public  of  Oahu  had,  however, 
very  little  chance  of  seizing  upon  Kelea's  in- 
vention in  a  practical  way,  since  the  darkness 
left  the  novel  combination  in  befitting  obscu- 
rity. Had  any  chance  observer  happened  to 
meet  the  composite  pair  during  that  droll 
promenade,  he  would  have  fled  for  his  life, 
spreading  broadcast  the  story  of  an  apparition 
of  the  god  of  the  sea,  by  whom  the  furious 
tempest  had  been  aroused. 

The  device  of  Kelea  answered  every  pur- 
pose ;  she  was  too  weary  and  bruised  to  walk  ; 
Menehune  was  equal  to  the  emergency  and 
strode  onward,  over  the  wide  plain  ;  by  the 
entrance  of  Manoa  valley,  around  the  back  of 
the  extinct  volcano  now  called  Punch  Bowl ; 
over  the  ridge  leading  towards  a  round  hill, 
now  known  as  Tantalus,  and  climbing  along 
the  western  side  of  Pauoa  valley,  he  at  last 


AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY.  187 

arrived  with  his  burden  at  a  lonely  spot,  where 
stood  a  grass  house  with  a  lanai  (verandah), 
close  against  a  beetling  cliff.  All  along  the 
way  they  had  come  were  uprooted  trees, 
deserted  or  dismantled  huts  and  signs  of  fear- 
ful devastation  from  swollen  streams  flowing 
down  the  hills  towards  the  plains  and  the  sea. 
But  the  strong  fellow  cared  nothing  for  torrents 
or  obstructions,  carefully  wading  through  the 
one  and  picking  his  way  over  the  other. 

The  spot  he  had  chosen  for  the  end  of  the 
trip  was  in  a  nook  of  the  mountainous  ridge 
which  looks  down  upon  the  magnificent  pass  of 
Nuuanu.  From  the  top  of  Tantalus,  one  can 
see,  across  the  valley,  the  terminus  of  five  or 
six  ridges  which,  like  the  fingers  of  a  man's 
hand,  stretch  in  a  northern  direction  far 
away.  These  ridges  have  steep  sides,  and 
except  near  their  summits  are  clad  in  perpetual 
green. 

Through  the  nearest  ridge,  the  pass  of  the 
Pali,  which  leads  to  the  plains  of  Kailua, 
cleaves  its  rugged  way.  On  the  left  of  the 
pass  is  a  precipice,  a  thousand  feet  in  height. 
Above  it  rises  a  peculiarly  sharp-edged,  rocky 
peak,  and  the  scenery  on  all  sides  is  surpass- 
ingly grand.  The  high  mountain  on  the  right 
side  of  the  pass  is  called  Kouahuanui. 

It  was  on  a  secluded  cliff  of  this  mountain, 


188  KELEA:    THE  SURF-RIDER. 

overlooking  the  sublime  prospect,  that  Kelea 
dismounted  from  her  improvised  steed.  The 
earliest  rays  of  the  morning  sun  began  to  light 
up  the  scene  and  revealed  to  her  the  dim  out- 
lines of  the  lofty  peaks.  An  abrupt  termina- 
tion of  the  path  by  which  the  dwarf-giant 
brought  her  showed  that  there  was  no  further 
passage  in  that  direction. 

Turning  towards  the  house  where  all  was 
dark  and  silent,  she  saw  a  large  grass  dwelling, 
a  garden  of  flowering  plants  and  shrubs,  a 
patch  of  ground  for  yams  and  a  clump  of  sugar- 
cane, which  in  the  islands  flourishes  even  at  an 
elevation  of  fifteen  hundred  feet. 

The  house  stood  against  the  side  of  the 
cliff,  which  formed  a  high  wall ;  above  the 
habitation,  the  beetling  crag,  with  vines  and 
ohelo  bushes,  made  a  sort  of  flowery  protec- 
tion, for  it  projected  over  the  house  and  shed 
the  water  from  above  into  the  ravine.  After 
the  heavy  rain  of  the  night,  quite  a  stream 
poured  over  the  cliff,  and  the  spray  diffused 
itself  throughout  the  atmosphere.  When  the 
sun  shone  upon  this  occasional  water-fall,  a 
rainbow  arched  the  place  ;  a  romantic  spot, 
ever  green  and  bright. 

Kelea  caught  a  momentary  glance  of  the 
beauty  of  the  scene,  but  hurried  through  the 
spray  to  the  verandah,  where  Menehune  im- 


AN  ASTONISHED  DEITY.  189 

plied  by  a  gesture  that  she  should  wait  till 
he  aroused  the  occupant  of  the  interior. 
Shivering  in  the  cold,  which  at  this  altitude 
was  rather  severe,  the  girl  paced  impatiently 
up  and  down,  wondering  what  would  befall 
her.  Only  a  moment  or  two  passed  when 
Menehune  came  out,  leading  by  the  hand  an 
aged  woman,  whom  he  guided  towards  Kelea. 

The  woman,  thin,  wrinkled  and  with  a  scar 
on  her  otherwise  pleasant  face,  was  evidently 
blind,  for  she  felt  of  Kelea's  countenance  and 
then  passed  her  hand  downwards.  Finding  no 
tapa  except  the  ragged  pan  and  its  tattered 
pendants,  she  began  to  talk  fast  to  Menehune, 
in  a  jargon  of  which  Kelea  could  understand 
only  a  few  words.  The  dwarf  comprehended 
if  the  girl  did  not,  and  went  into  the  house, 
returning  with  a  roll  of  thick  tapa,  which  the 
old  woman  at  once  wrapped  around  the 
chilled  girl. 

Evidently,  Menehune  had  told  his  mother 
(for  such  she  was,)  all  he  knew  about  the 
wa/itne,  and  it  was  not  long  before  she  led 
Kelea  gently  indoors  and  made  her  sit  down. 

When  the  dwarf  saw  that  the  stranger,  after 
eating  a  hearty  meal,  dropped  into  a  sound 
sleep  on  a  couch  of  mats,  he  at  once  started 
down  the  cliffside,  and  when  Pu'  Aloha  awoke 
the  next  morning  she  found  her  faithful  Mene' 
as  usual  before  her  door. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"  FEATHER-MANTLE." 

WE  left  Hookama  a  prisoner  at  Hawaii, 
after  the  angry  king  of  Hawaii  had  ordered 
him  to  be  kept  under  strict  guard.  The  ex- 
hausted and  dispirited  youth  sank  down  in  a 
corner  of  the  dark  cell  in  a  state  bordering  on 
prostration.  The  strain  on  his  body  and  mind 
produced  a  numbness  of  the  nerves  and  a  tor- 
pid condition  of  the  brain.  The  reaction 
made  him  indifferent  to  life  or  death.  He 
suffered  no  apprehension,  but  fell  into  a  sort 
of  stupor,  a  dreamless,  deadening  sleep. 

It  was  midnight  when  he  was  partially 
aroused  by  the  flicker  of  a  kukui-n\\\.  torch 
and  the  heavy  tread  of  human  feet.  Half-con- 
scious, he  felt  the  cords  on  his  cramped  arms 
and  remembered  that  he  was  a  prisoner.  The 
approaching  figure  he  thought  was  the  king's 
mu  (assassin)  and,  as  it  was  of  no  use  to  resist, 


"  FEA  TffER-MANTLE."  1 91 

he  lay  passive,  awaiting  his  fate.  What  dif- 
ference to  him  whether  the  end  came  sooner 
or  later  ? 

He  was  aware  of  rough  fingers  untwisting 
the  ropes  from  his  arms,  and  with  a  sigh  of 
relief  he  stretched  out  his  hands.  Somebody 
was  talking,  whether  to  him  or  not  he  did  not 
know  or  care.  Soon,  another  figure  came  in 
and  kneeled  beside  him.  The  two  strange  be- 
ings rolled  him  over  on  his  side.  He  made  no 
resistance  ;  why  should  he  ?  Then  they  took 
his  limbs  in  their  hands  and  twisted  the 
joints ;  they  pounded  his  flesh  and  muscles. 
He  wondered  if  it  were  the  torture.  They  laid 
his  passive  body  upon  mats  and  rubbed  the 
skin,  pouring  on  a  liquid,  till  the  prickling 
sensation  resembled  that  of  the  tattoo  process 
with  thorns. 

By  and  by,  a  feeling  more  pleasurable  than 
painful  ensued,  and  Hookama  wondered  if  it 
were  that  preceding  death,  which  he  did  not 
dread  in  the  least.  Finally,  conscious  of  being 
not  only  alive  but  fairly  comfortable,  he 
stretched  his  legs,  sat  up  and  found  a  gourd  at 
his  mouth  from  which  he  took  a  long  draught 
of  the  stimulating  awa,  mixed  with  water,  and 
a  gruel  of  poi. 

His  eyes  by  this  time  were  accustomed  to 
the  dim  light  in  the  cell,  and  he  recognized  the 


192  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

face  of  the  big  warrior  who  had  refused  to 
kill  him  at  the  king's  command.  The  recogni- 
tion was  so  joyful  to  Hookama  that  he  smiled 
and  managed  to  utter  the  difficult  name  of  his 
friend,  "  Kakuhaupio."  At  this,  the  other 
man  left  the  cell. 

Without  giving  in  detail  the  conversation 
which  followed,  the  substance  of  it  was  as 
follows : — 

It  was  the  little  witch  of  a  child,  who  stood 
near  the  king  during  the  contest  with  spears, 
that  prolonged  Hookama's  life.  The  burly 
chief,  Kamehameha,  was  infatuated  with  the 
girl,  whom  he  meant  to  have  for  his  wife  by  and 
by,  although  she  was  now  betrothed  to  the 
king's  son.  She  was  an  arch-coquette  and  had 
been  greatly  taken  with  Hookama.  When 
she  heard  of  the  intended  duel,  she  went  to 
the  fascinated  chief,  over  thirty  years  her 
senior,  and  cajoled  him  to  promise  not  to  kill 
his  antagonist.  Otherwise  Hookama  would 
certainly  have  been  slain  by  one  of  the  six 
javelins. 

The  change  that  came  over  the  king  when 
he  ordered  Hookama  to  be  bound  instead  of 
being  killed  off  hand,  was  occasioned  by  the 
mysterious  words,  whispered  in  his  ear  by 
"  The  Lonely  One "  and  Hewahewa,  the 
priest. 


"FEATHER-MANTLE."  193 

The  one  had  said,  "  The  young  alii  is  an 
envoy  from  Oahu  with  an  important,  secret 
message.  If  you  kill  him,  you  will  regret  it." 
The  other,  the  priest,  whispered  :  "The  youth 
is  the  son  of  a  god ;  I  have  learned  his  ped- 
igree, and  you  kill  him  at  your  peril." 

"  Now,"  continued  the  chivalrous  chief, 
"  you  will  be  brought  before  the  king  to- 
morrow. He  is  capricious,  and  just  now  he 
chafes  at  his  disappointment  in  not  securing 
any  prisoners  alive  to  sacrifice  to  the  war-god. 
Yet  you  may  possibly  save  your  life  if  you  are 
shrewd.  You  told  me  you  came  as  an  envoy 
from  the  king  of  Oahu,  on  a  secret  mission. 
You  did  not  tell  me  what  it  was.  If  the  king 
is  favorable  to  your  message,  he  will  not  want 
to  destroy  the  messenger.  However,  the  old 
man  is  an  odd  being.  There  is  at  least  a 
chance  for  your  life." 

Hookama  thanked  him  for  his  kindness  and 
then  said  abruptly,  "Who  is  that  little 
maiden  that  has  such  power  over  the  men  ?  She 
surely  has  bright  eyes  and  a  charming  form. 
But  how  does  she  get  such  influence?" 

"Aha,"  replied  the  big  chief,  "you  ought 
to  know.  I  saw  you  look  at  her,  when  you 
started  in  for  the  fight.  She  is  Kaahumanu, 
Feather-Mantle,  the  daughter  of  Queen  Na- 
mahana,  who  is  the  sister  of  the  king  of 


194  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Maui ;  curse  him !  He  drove  them  away 
from  the  island.  Our  king  has  taken  them 
under  his  wing  and  he  is  very  fond  of  the 
child.  But  now,  get  some  more  sleep  ;  you'll 
need  all  your  strength.  The  guards  here  are 
my  own  men.  They  will  take  you  for  a  bath 
in  the  river  in  the  morning.  Aloha !  "  and 
the  large-hearted  chief  hurried  out  of  the 
prison. 

At  early  dawn,  the  guard  led  Hookama  to 
the  river  where  he  plunged  in  and  disported 
himself  as  if  no  care  ever  weighed  on  his 
mind.  He  displayed  his  wonderful  skill  as  a 
swimmer,  and  the  guards  were  looking  on  with 
admiration,  when  suddenly  from  a  clump  of 
bushes  Feather-Mantle  appeared  and,  leaping 
into  the  water,  swam  like  a  water-bird  towards 
the  young  alii. 

When  she  approached  him  she  shook  her 
raven  hair  over  her  face  so  that  the  youth 
could  see  only  the  glances  of  her  keen,  black 
eyes.  In  the  friendliest  manner,  Hookama 
praised  her  skill  as  a  swimmer,  whereupon  she 
tossed  back  her  locks  and  allowed  her  face  to 
be  seen.  He  thought  her  smile  more  attrac- 
tive than  her  bewitching  form :  but  he  had 
no  time  to  improve  the  acquaintance.  She 
quickly  said,  "A  lii-nui  !  Don't  be  afraid.  The 
king  shall  not  kill  you.  I  came  out  to  tell 


«« PEA  THER-MANTLE, "  195 

you,  and  the  guards  must  not  hear  me  ; 
Aloha !  "  Before  the  young  man  could  reply, 
she  turned  and  swam  for  the  shore. 

Hookama  thought  it  best  not  to  follow 
her,  and  so  waited  in  the  stream,  till  she 
emerged  and  her  wahines  threw  over  her 
shoulders  a  gay  mantle  of  tapa,  decorating  her 
head  and  neck  with  wreaths  of  fragrant 
flowers.  Then  he  swam  to  the  shore  ;  but  with 
one  arch  look  behind  her,  the  charming  creature 
hurried  away  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight. 

When  Hookama  stood  before  the  king,  his 
arms  having  been  bound  again  behind  his 
back,  the  two  giant-chiefs,  his  keeper  and  his 
antagonist,  stood  on  either  side,  ostensibly  to 
guard  him,  but  really  to  reinforce  his  courage. 

The  king,  after  the  young  alii  had  pros- 
trated himself,  commanded  him  in  a  stern  voice 
to  approach,  and  motioned  the  chiefs  to  stand 
back.  Then  in  a  lower  tone  he  said  to 
Hookama,  "  My  priest  tells  me  that  you  are 
the  son  of  a  god.  Is  that  true  ?  Answer  me 
on  your  life." 

"Alas!  your  mwtship,  I  know  not  my  par- 
ents. I  am  of  noble  birth,  but  whether  my  an- 
cestors sprang  out  of  the  earth  or  descended 
from  the  stars,  I  cannot  say." 

The  answer  satisfied  the  king  better  than  if 
Hookama  had  affirmed  a  divine  pedigree  and 


196  KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

named  the  god  from  whom  he  had  come  ;  for  it 
was  the  mystery  of  his  origin  that  assured  the 
king  of  the  truth  of  what  Hewahewathe  priest 
declared. 

Again  the  king  spoke :  "  You  have  a  secret 
message  for  my  ear  alone,  I  am  told.  Speak, 
and  let  your  words  be  few.  I  like  not  a  secret 
message  from  an  enemy." 

"  Fling  me  from  a  cliff,"  calmly  answered 
the  youth,  "  if  either  my  king  or  myself  can  be 
counted  your  enemy,  even  if  we  fought  with 
Kahekili  against  you.  It  was  by  constraint. 
Your  ttwzship  has  an  eye  that  searches  my 
heart.  Kahahana  sends  no  hostile  message. 
He  has  a  word  for  your  ear  alone.  He  trusts 
you,  as  he  distrusts  the  crafty  king  of  Maui." 
The  king's  face  assumed  an  expectant  and 
interested  expression.  "  Kahekili  would  rob 
my  king  of  his  kingdom.  My  king  wants  your 
mighty  hand  to  crush  the  robber.  The  day 
that  sees  Hawaii  and  Oahu  united  will  shine 
on  one  tyrant  the  less.  Maui  will  be  yours, 
and  Oahu  free." 

There  was  excitement  in  the  old  man's  eyes 
as  he  replied  almost  in  a  whisper  :  "  Kahahana's 
warriors  will  never  fight  against  the  king  of 
Maui  under  the  war-gods  of  Hawaii.  Would 
to  Kane  that  we  might  join  forces  against  our 
common  foe.  But  the  gods  do  not  so  will. 


"  FEA  THER-MANTLE."  197 

Your  king  will  again  join  the  dastardly  robber 
against  me,  and  a  bard  from  Oahu  will  chant 
my  death-song.  But  I  shall  not  have  long  to 
await  the  ghost  of  Oahu's  king  in  the  realm 
of  Kane.  The  king  of  Oahu  is  the  tool  of 
Kahekili ;  I  will  not  betray  him,  but  the 
tool  will  surfer  at  the  hand  of  him  that  uses  it. 
I  have  spoken." 

The  old  chief  dropped  his  head  and  was 
silent  for  a  moment ;  then  raising  his  eyes,  he 
said  :  "  But  you  are  the  son  of  a  god.  I  see  it 
in  your  face.  There  is  only  one  like  you  in 
the  land.  Yonder  he  stands,  and  the  child  is 
holding  him  by  the  hand.  He  will  rule  after 
me,  and  you  will  serve  him." 

Astonished  at  these  words  Hookama  simply 
replied,  "  But  I  am  to  die  by  your  hands. 
One  more  request  only  and  I  am  content. 
Send  a  trusty  messenger  to  my  king,  that  his 
mind  may  know  the  mind  of  Hawaii's  king." 

The  king  looked  hard  at  the  youth,  to  see 
what  would  be  the  effect  of  the  announcement 
that  he  was  about  to  make,  and  then  said  : 
"You  will  go  back  to  your  king.  The  gods  re- 
fuse to  receive  you  as  a  sacrifice.  My  priest 
has  sought  the  oracle.  You  are  free. — Here, 
guards,  unbind  the  prisoner ! — Only  the  war- 
riors who  came  with  you  shall  be  laid  on  the  al- 
tar. You  can  go  whence  you  came." 


198  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  Hookama,  forgetting 
his  assumed  composure,  "  My  men  sacrificed, 
and  I  go  back?  Never  !  never  !  " 

"  The  gods  so  will  it,  and  I  must  have  vic- 
tims to  appease  their  anger.  Go,  young  man, 
and  thank  the  god  you  serve  that  you  escape." 

"  Bind  me  again,"  cried  Hookama  in  a  loud 
voice,  holding  out  his  arms  to  the  guards  who 
stood  with  the  cords  in  their  hands.  "  Thrust 
me  into  your  vile  prison.  I  die  with  my 
friends,  or  we  all  return  to  our  island.  You 
call  me  the  son  of  a  god !  As  such,  I  say  to 
you,  king  though  you  are,  that  the  gods  will 
have  no  such  sacrifice.  Kahekili  himself 
could  not  perpetrate  such  a  crime ;  if " 

"  Seize  him,"  cried  the  king.  "  Strangle  him 
at  once  !  Son  of  a  god  !  We  will  see  if  Kahe- 
kili can  be  outdone ;  who  cares " 

The  priest  who  was  standing  a  little  dis- 
tance away,  came  suddenly  forward  and  laid 
his  hand  on  the  king's  shoulder.  "  My  king, 
have  a  care !  You  are  forgetting  yourself. 
The  gods  demand  no  such  propitiation." 
Then  turning  to  the  two  giant  chiefs  he  said 
in  a  low  voice,  "  An  evil  spirit  possesses  our 
mighty  king.  We  have  provided  other  vic- 
tims." 

The  chiefs  thus  addressed  consulted  a  mo- 
ment and  then  said  to  the  excited  king,  whose 


' '  FEA  THER-MANTLE. "  199 

hands  trembled  as  if  shaking  with  palsy :  "  It 
is  right  that  the  young  man  expiate  his  fault. 
The  priest  forbids  the  sacrifice  either  of  him 
or  his  followers.  But  the  gods  take  vengeance 
on  their  despisers.  Send  him  to  the  fire  god- 
dess. If  he  escapes  her  wrath  he  is  dear  to 
the  gods  and  we  are  guiltless.  If  he  is  con- 
sumed in  the  flames  of  Pele,  his  doom  is  just." 

The  king,  still  unappeased,  was  weak  in  the 
hands  of  his  two  mightiest  chiefs,  and,  finding 
these  leaders  of  his  army  resolute  and  insis- 
tent, gave  orders  to  pack  the  strangers  off  at 
once.  He  wanted  them  out  of  his  sight.  To 
Pele  they  might  go,  but  they  were  never  to 
see  his  face  again.  He  cursed  them  as  he  re- 
treated to  his  house. 

Thus  Hookama  gained  what  he  most  desired, 
a  visit  to  the  domains  of  the  Fire  Goddess. 
He  had  intimated  this  desire  to  the  giant 
warrior,  and,  as  it  was  made  known  to  him 
long  afterwards,  Feather-Mantle  had  won 
Kamehameha  over  to  the  scheme,  in  hopes  of 
saving  him. 

Lest  the  decision  should  be  revoked,  the 
young  alii  was  hurried  to  the  beach ;  the 
eight  warriors  were  released  and  sat  with 
paddles  in  the  canoe.  A  crowd  of  natives 
stood  on  the  shore;  the  two  friendly  chiefs 
had  given  Hookama  directions  for  the  voyage 


KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


and  a  token  for  Keawe,  the  chief  of  Hilo. 
The  youthful  chief  stood  in  the  surf  ready 
to  embark,  when  suddenly  Feather-Mantle, 
followed  by  several  of  her  wakines,  rushed 
from  the  crowd  ;  their  hands  full  of  lets 
(wreaths),  and  dashing  through  the  shallow, 
rippling  surf  they  covered  him  with  flowers, 
making  him,  much  to  his  surprise,  an  animated 
overgrown  bouquet  with  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow. 

Gallantly  the  youth  bent  down  to  the  laugh- 
ing maiden  and  laid  on  her  raven  tresses  one 
of  the  choicest  of  the  garlands  she  had  given 
him  ;  then  he  bent  his  knee,  half  in  jest  and  half 
in  earnest,  as  if  predicting  for  her  the  royal 
honors  which  would  crown  her  brows  in  years 
to  come.  But  he  did  not  know  that  she  was 
to  be  the  famous  queen  regent,  who  after 
Kamehameha's  death  would  break  the  Tabu, 
and  with  Hewahewa's  help  abolish  idolatry 
from  all  the  islands. 

Waving  his  alohas  to  the  chiefs,  as  he  leaped 
into  his  canoe,  he  noticed,  the  last  object 
meeting  his  eyes,  a  smile  on  Kamehameha's 
face,  as  the  "  Lonely  One  "  looked  down  at 
his  future  bride  and  rejoiced  that  there  was 
one  man  the  less,  handsomer  than  himself,  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  flirtatious  little 
maid. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

PELE,  THE  FIRE-GODDESS  OF  KILAUEA. 

THE  northern  coast  of  the  island  of  Hawaii, 
from  its  western  cape,  Upolu,  in  Kohala,  to 
the  bay  of  Hilo,  a  distance  of  sixty  or  seventy 
miles,  is  a  dream  of  beauty  as  seen  from  the 
sea.  This  windward  side  of  the  island  pre- 
sents to  the  voyager  a  succession  of  lofty 
ridges,  stretching  from  the  interior  in  irregular, 
curving  lines,  and  cut  off  at  the  coast.  Each 
end  projects  its  smooth,  precipitous  front  to 
the  waves  from  the  north,  which  fling  their 
spray  far  up  the  cliffs. 

Between  these  colossal,  headland  ridges, 
gloomy  valleys  are  scooped  out,  submerged  in 
shadow,  impenetrable,  and  canopied  by  fronds 
of  tropical  trees  and  plants.  No  canoes  lie  at 
the  mouths  of  these  retreating  vales,  for  the 
jungle  of  convoluted,  tangled  vines  and 
shrubs,  kept  moist  by  constant  showers,  is  too 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


formidable  even  for  a  savage,  bred  to  the  work 
of  forcing  his  way  through  pathless  thickets. 

High  above  in  the  distant  background,  the 
volcanic  mountains,  which  dominate  and  often 
devastate  the  lower  lands,  wear  their  mantles 
of  snow,  except  in  unusual  seasons  of  summer 
heat. 

It  was  along  this  marvellous  coast,  with  its 
picturesque  and  irregular  outline,  that  Hook- 
ama,  after  his  release,  sailed  gaily  in  his  war- 
canoe  towards  the  bay  of  Hilo,  the  most  tropical 
and  delicious  of  all  the  garden  spots  of  this 
Liliputian  group. 

At  last,  the  little  party  arrived  at  Hilo  and 
were  conveyed  by  the  chief  Keawe,  to  a 
little  island  a  few  rods  from  the  main  land, 
where  preparations  had  been  made  for  their 
entertainment.  Cocoa-nut  Island  !  a  favorite 
resting  place  of  royal  chiefs.  The  tallest 
cocoa-nut  palms  wave  over  it.  Branches  of 
trees  are  there  reflected  in  the  stillest  of  pools. 
The  breeze  that  stirs  their  fronds  causes  no 
ripples  on  the  side  of  the  island  towards  the 
shore.  The  sands  that  surround  this  lovely 
spot  are  the  whitest,  and  the  mossy  turf  under 
the  shadows  of  the  palms  is  the  softest.  The 
graceful  pandanus  trees,  with  a  dozen  or  more 
supporting  stems  growing  from  the  trunk  to 
the  ground,  incline  towards  the  mirroring 


PELE,  THE  FIRE-GODDESS  OF  KILAUEA.  203 

waters.  Soft,  gray  mosses  droop  in  rich  fes- 
toons from  branches  and  trunks,  some  even 
dipping  in  the  pools. 

Here  Hookama  rested  after  a  bath,  while  his 
warriors  were  escorted  to  the  village  as  guests 
of  the  chief.  The  night  was  cool ;  the  sounds 
of  distant  revellers  and  the  noise  of  their  drums 
scarcely  reached  his  ears.  The  rippling  waves 
upon  the  sands  were  musical  to  him  as  he  lay 
on  the  mossy  sward  and  dreamed ;  dreamed  of 
Oahu,  of  Pu'  Aloha,  of  Kelea,  and  Feather- 
Mantle  ;  waking  dreams,  but  all  the  more  fas- 
cinating because  they  were  real. 

He  dropped  asleep,  just  as  he  called  to  mind 
his  purpose  to  seek  on  the  morrow  the  strange 
haunts  of  the  goddess  Pele,  whom  the  dwellers 
on  Oahu  worshipped  only  as  a  distant  deity, 
whose  terrors  scarcely  troubled  them  in  slight 
earthquake  shocks  at  infrequent  seasons.  Now 
he  is  to  meet  her  and  her  fiery  ebullitions,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  volcano  which  was  her  home. 

As  he  slept,  there  appeared  to  him  a  vision 
of  a  woman  divinely  fair,  of  immense  pro- 
portions and  surpassing  form.  As  she  lay  on 
beds  of  black  lava,  her  breasts  were  twin 
mountains  covered  with  snow  and  her  limbs 
were  like  fiery  streams  of  molten  gold.  Her 
face  was  like  the  sun  in  its  brightness  and  its 
expression  was  fascinating  to  his  eyes. 


204  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

He  seemed  to  be  kneeling  in  the  presence 
of  the  goddess  and  professing  ardent  and  endur- 
ing loyalty.  Then,  in  his  dream,  the  image  of 
Pu*  Aloha  appeared,  weeping  and  dejected. 
She  reproached  him  for  his  devotion  to  a  new 
deity,  and  at  once  the  goddess,  whom  he  had 
seen  in  splendid  majesty,  became  a  fury, 
belching  smoke  from  her  distended  nostrils  and 
shaking  a  forked  lightning-flame  with  her  hand. 

Her  hair,  scintillating  with  sparks  and  brittle 
as  glass,  fell  over  him  in  hot  showers  and  burned 
into  his  flesh  and  eyes.  A  yawning  chasm 
opened  at  his  feet  and  he  was  falling  headlong 
into  it,  still  gazing  in  terror  at  the  apparition, 
when — he  awoke  with  the  sun's  early  rays  full 
in  his  face  and  a  lizard,  the  dreaded  moo, 
was  crawling  over  his  limbs. 

Beautiful  as  the  Cocoa-nut  Isle  might  be  to 
others,  it  no  longer  had  any  charm  for  him. 
He  arose,  looked  around  and  found  his  warriors, 
who  had  been  brought  back  during  the  night, 
drunk  with  awa,  and  were  sleeping  off  the 
effects  of  their  debauch.  Jumping  into  a  canoe 
drawn  up  at  the  edge  of  the  beach,  he  paddled 
to  the  main  land  and,  inquiring  the  way,  soon 
found  himself  in  front  of  Chief  Keawe's  house 
with  its  broad  lanai  (verandah). 

The  chief  was  taking  his  morning  meal,  fruit 
and/0/,  and  received  him  cordially.  Dipping 


PELE,  THE  FIRE-GODDESS  OF  KILAUEA.  205 

his  fingers  with  the  chief  into  a  large  calabash 
of  the  national  food,  which  natives  adore  and 
which  foreigners  avoid,  Hookama  won  the 
chief's  heart  by  his  frankness,  and  the  two 
men  planned  the  journey  to  the  volcano,  from 
which  the  chief  tried  in  vain  to  dissuade  the 
youth.  Keawe  discussed  the  dangers  of  the 
undertaking  and  the  capricious  nature  of  the 
dread  goddess,  but  finding  the  young  alii 
resolute,  offered  him  provisions  and  a  bird- 
catcher  as  a  guide. 

Hookama  expressed  a  wish  to  go  at  once,  be- 
fore the  sun  was  hot,  and  Keawe  thereupon 
summoned  a  native  who  was  not  only  a  moun- 
tain climber  but  an  expert  bird-catcher  as  well. 
His  name  was  Lou,  meaning  a  fish-hook,  and 
given  to  him  because  his  bow-legs  corresponded 
to  the  double  bend  of  the  fish-hook  in  common 
use. 

What  was  Hookama's  surprise  to  see  in  this 
chosen  guide,  a  little  man  about  thirty-five 
years  old  with  an  anatomical  structure  like  a 
monkey  ;  having  a  thin,  scrawny  body  bristling 
with  hair  ;  a  face  tattooed  with  lizards  ;  lumi- 
nous eyes  that  sparkled  with  drollery ;  a 
puckery  mouth ;  a  top-heavy  head,  and  legs  as 
crooked  as  the  limbs  of  a  /iau-tree. 

"  Here,  Lou  !  Make  your  Aloha  to  the  alii, 
and  show  him  what  wonderful  things  you  can 


206  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

do,"  cried  the  chief  as  this  extraordinary  speci- 
men made  his  obeisance  to  Hookama.  Keawe 
then  took  a  bow  and  arrow,  such  as  chiefs  used, 
not  in  war  but  for  shooting  mice,  (the  only 
hunting  they  had  on  the  islands).  Giving  the 
bow  and  arrow  to  the  man,  and,  standing  up 
some  thirty  paces  away,  he  made  a  circle  with 
the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  his  right  hand, 
extending  his  arm  to  its  full  length  from  his 
side. 

Lou  drew  the  arrow  to  its  head  on  the  bow 
and  let  it  fly  at  the  chief's  hand.  The  arrow 
passed  through  the  circle  without  harming 
thumb  or  finger,  though  the  chief  did  not 
move  a  muscle  or  show  the  least  concern.  Then 
Keawe  turned  to  Hookama  and  said  :  "The 
little  scamp  can  cut  the  stem  of  a  cocoa-nut  on 
the  tallest  palm,  but  this  is  the  only  weapon 
he  knows  how  to  use.  He  will,  however,  do 
better  by  you  than  a  dozen  spearmen  among 
the  mountains. 

"  Give  my  Aloha  to  the  goddess,"  said  the 
friendly  chief,  "  and  be  sure  you  sacrifice  two 
pigs ;  else  you'll  be  food  for  her  hot  oven. 
We  will  look  for  you  after  seven  suns,  or  rake 
in  the  ashes  of  the  next  lava-flow  for  your 
bones."  These  were  his  reassuring  words  as 
he  started  the  ill-assorted  pair  on  their  perilous 
tramp. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

LOU,  THE  GUIDE  TO  THE  VOLCANO. 

Lou,  the  guide,  was  one  of  the  many 
strange  human  products  of  this  land,  where 
women  fondled  puppies  and  left  their  own 
offspring  to  look  out  for  themselves ;  where 
swine  were  allowed  more  license  in  the  grass 
huts  than  boys  and  girls,  and  where  a  demi- 
god, a  defunct  chief,  was  supposed  to  assume, 
at  will,  the  form  of  an  immense  black  hog; 
where  aristocratic  birth  demanded  obesity  in 
the  women  of  the  court,  and  where  mutilation 
of  the  features,  in  honor  of  a  dead  king,  was 
common  among  the  chiefs. 

Lazy,  reckless,  half-tamed,  no  wonder  that 
many  of  the  young  men  were  deformed,  half- 
witted and  diseased.  Fortunately,  leprosy 
was  not  introduced  into  the  islands  until  the 
Chinamen  appeared  in  the  next  century. 
Lou  couldn't  remember  that  he  ever  had  any 


208  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

parents,  but  attributed  his  unique  physique, 
when  questioned  concerning  his  history  by 
Hookama,  to  his  birth  under  a  tree  that  was 
withered  at  the  top,  and  his  hairy  body  to  the 
fact  that  a  favorite  puppy  had  been  his  foster- 
brother. 

But  the  two  bird-catchers,  travelling  osten- 
sibly for  that  purpose,  got  on  famously  to- 
gether. Hookama  became  much  attached  to  the 
bow-legged  little  fellow  and  chatted  gaily  with 
him  as  the  pair  walked  briskly  along  the  side 
of  pools  where  the  natives  were  bathing  and 
a  few  of  them  gathering  fruit  and  flowers 
from  the  luxuriant  vines.  After  an  hour's 
walk,  they  struck  into  a  jungle,  by  a  path 
which  allowed  them  to  go  only  in  single 
file. 

The  air  was  humid  and  hot,  even  in  the  early 
morning,  but  in  no  other  atmosphere  could  be 
produced  the  wonderful  growths  of  vegetation 
that  revealed  nature  in  her  most  prodigal 
moods.  Ferns,  tall  as  trees ;  fern-trees,  with 
fronds  pluming  from  their  tops  or  hanging 
from  their  sides ;  immense  kukui  trees  with 
mossy  trunks,  covered  with  clambering  vines ; 
wild  fruit  trees ;  spiked  plants  "with  long 
stemmed  blossoms  ;  vast  wastes  of  tangled  roots 
underneath  and  miles  on  miles  of  brilliant 
foliage  overhead  ;  all  this  variety,  with  luscious 


LOU,  THE  GUIDE  TO  THE  VOLCANO.      209 

wild  fruits,  which  Lou,  who  went  ahead  with 
sidelong  strides,  ached  to  pluck,  but  which  even 
his  agility  did  not  enable  him  to  gather  from 
the  impassable  labyrinth. 

The  men  walked  in  a  sort  of  variegated  twi- 
light, although  it  was  broad  day ;  a  revelry  of 
color ;  heaven's  blue  hidden  and  earth's  rarest 
hues  everywhere  prevailing.  There  was  not  a 
snake  nor  a  reptile  to  make  it  dangerous  to 
cross  the  mouldy  bottom-brakes,  but  an  en- 
tanglement quite  as  fatal,  of  roots  and  vines, 
clung  to  the  limbs  or  clasped  the  body  of  any 
one  who  left  the  beaten  track. 

Hookama  had  seen  no  such  jungle  on  Oahu. 
Only  on  this  more  southern  island  did  the  clear 
light  of  the  sun  give  place  to  the  myriad  hues 
of  overarching  vines  and  flowers. 

After  two  h^urs,  the  change  to  daylight  and 
a  ridge  where  huts  were  found  and  tall  palms 
stood  sentinel,  was  like  emerging  from  a  zone 
of  roseate  and  amber  tints  into  clear  white 
light.  Then  passing  over  immense  masses  of 
cooled  lava,  where  stunted  bushes  and  tough 
grasses  grew,  the  pedestrians  picked  ohelo  ber- 
ries and  finally  came  at  night  to  a  grove  of 
palmettos  where  they  stretched  out  in  the  hol- 
low of  a  lava-bed,  in  delicious  rest  after  their 
toilsome  march. 

It  was  a  little  more  than  thirty  miles  from 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


Hilo  to  the  volcano  of  Kilauea,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  second  day,  the  atmosphere 
became  cold.  Lou  did  not  appear  to  enjoy 
the  change.  He  hunted  for  cracks  and  seams 
which  emitted  vapor  and  steam.  They  were 
a  better  tonic  to  him  than  rarified  air.  He  sat 
on  the  edge  of  a  crevasse  and  hung  his  feet 
over  the  side  of  it  in  the  comfortable  mist. 
The  sight  of  snow  on  Mauna  Loa's  curved 
summit  gave  him  the  chills,  and  as  for  going 
near  the  crater  to  get  warm,  he  could  hardly 
entertain  the  idea.  With  his  cracked  voice  he 
repudiated  the  whole  trip  and  wondered  how 
Keawe  had  allowed  them  to  attempt  it. 

Here  indeed  was  a  dilemma  for  Hookama. 
"  Could  he  go  on  alone  ?  "  He  saw  the  thin 
column  of  white  vapor  terminating  in  a  cloud, 
which  the  risen  sun  gilded  as  it  floated  over 
the  sea  of  fire,  and  Lou  said,  "  That  is  the 
smoke  of  Pele's  oven  and  her  horrid  house  is 
down  below  it." 

But  if  he  went  on  alone,  could  he  leave  Lou 
behind  ?  What  sort  of  a  guide  was  the  little 
old  man  after  all  ?  Was  he  loaned  to  him  by 
the  chief,  to  be  an  incumbrance  like  this  ?  And 
besides,  where  were  the  black  pigs,  which  Pele 
exacted  from  those  who  entered  her  fiery 
realm  ? 

To  all  these  questions,  as  Hookama  poured 


LOU,   THE  GUIDE  TO  THE  VOLCANO.     211 

them  into  Lou's  ear  with  expressive  gestures 
and  vehement  words,  the  miserable,  crooked 
fish-hook  of  a  man  answered  nothing  ;  he  only 
kept  on  warming  his  toes  in  the  cracks  of  the 
lava,  looking  longingly  in  the  direction  of  his 
sunny  home  near  the  shimmering  sea. 

The  detonations,  occasionally  heard  from  the 
direction  of  the  crater,  served  but  to  harden 
his  determination  not  to  budge.  He  said 
Hookama  might  kill  him  if  he  chose,  and  toss 
him  instead  of  a  black  pig  to  Pele ;  she  would 
like  him  better  than  a  hog,  he  did  not  doubt : 
but  as  for  facing  her  flaming  wrath,  and  look- 
ing into  her  face  and  eyes,  he  couldn't  do  it, 
and  by  Kane,  he  declared  he  would  not. 

It  looked  as  if  Lou  were  afraid.  Hookama 
began  to  be  frightened  also,  but  for  other  reasons. 
He  was  fearful  lest  he  should  not  win  the  fiery 
smile  of  the  dread  goddess,  nor  hear  her  deafen- 
ing voice.  Then,  with  the  disappointment, 
there  would  come  the  ridicule  of  Keawe  and 
the  bandinage  of  Kahahana,  Paao,  and  even  of 
Pu'  Aloha,  at  his  return. 

He  stood  and  looked  sorrowfully  at  the 
little  creature,  half  hidden  in  the  lava  crack; 
that  woe-begone  face  haunted  him ;  the  bony 
fingers,  fumbling  and  twitching  at  the  stick  he 
held  in  his  hands,  indicated  imbecility.  Was 
the  man  becoming  demented  through  fear? 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


That  drivelling  speech,  as  Lou  mumbled  in- 
coherently to  himself,  was  it  delirium  or  giddi- 
ness ?  Hookama  drew  nearer,  and  saw  big  tears 
running  down  the  hollow  cheeks  of  the  stupid 
clown,  as  he  drooped,  with  his  head  over  the 
crevice,  from  which  the  sulphurous  steam  came 
up  in  a  thin,  hazy,  yellowish  mist. 

Then  he  laid  his  hand  on  Lou's  shoulder  and 
shook  him  to  arouse  his  wandering  mind  ;  but 
observing  him  narrowly,  he  thought  he  discov- 
ered a  gleam  in  those  tearful  eyes  which  meant 
something  very  different  from  disorder  of  the 
faculties  ;  there  was  a  lurking  keenness  in  the 
orbs  quite  unlike  the  appearance  of  a  dulled 
brain.  At  that  instant,  a  slight  trembling  of 
the  ground,  like  the  first,  feeble  throes  of  an 
earthquake,  caused  Hookama  to  spring  back 
from  the  opening  with  a  vague  apprehension 
that  the  crevice  might  close  up,  calling  at  the 
same  time  to  Lou  to  take  his  legs  out  of  the 
crack.  What  a  horror,  if  the  fellow  should  be 
caught  by  his  lower  limbs,  and,  clenched  by 
the  tough  lava,  be  held  fast  to  linger  till  he 
died! 

But  the  Kanaka  did  not  move  a  muscle  and 
Hookama  saw  at  once  that  his  apprehension 
was  groundless.  It  was  a  passing  fear  which 
was  soon  dissipated,  and  a  feeling  of  anger 
took  its  place  in  the  young  alifs  mind.  He 


LOU,  THE  GUIDE  TO  THE  VOLCANO.      213 

started  towards  the  misshapen  creature,  with 
an  impulse  to  tear  him  from  his  stupid  position, 
set  him  on  his  feet,  give  him  a  thrashing  and 
make  him  lead  on. 

But  the  little  chap  was  too  quick  for  him  ; 
before  he  had  advanced  two  paces,  Lou  grasped 
the  bow  and  arrow  lying  at  his  side  and  fitting  the 
arrow  to  the  string,  aimed  it  straight  at  the 
aliis  eyes,  while  his  expression  changed  in  a 
twinkling  from  that  of  dullness  to  the  most  in- 
tense shrewdness.  Hookama's  hasty  movement 
was  arrested  by  this  unexpected  change  in  the 
situation,  and  holding  up  his  hand  to  pro- 
tect his  face,  he  called  out  to  know  what  was 
meant  by  this  sudden  performance. 

Thereupon  Lou  gave  a  whistling  sound 
from  his  lips  and  began  to  laugh  and  dance  about 
in  the  most  extravagant  fashion.  If  he  had 
acted  like  a  muddle-headed  coward  before, 
his  ridiculous  antics  now  savored  of  the  most 
irrational  mirth.  Hookama  stared  in  wonder 
at  his  preposterous  performance  ;  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  fellow's  half  humorous  look  about 
the  eyes,  he  would  have  thought  him  even 
more  idiotic  than  when  he  sat  gibbering,  with 
his  legs  dangling  in  the  crack. 

When  Lou  found  that  the  impression  he  had 
made  upon  the  alii,  whatever  it  might  be,  had 
worn  off,  he  stopped  his  absurd  exhibition  and 


214  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

assumed  his  usual  attitude ;  the  change  was  so 
instantaneous  and  the  man  fell  into  his  cus- 
tomary voice  and  manner  so  naturally  that 
Hookama  cried  out,  "What  demon  has  got  in- 
to you,  to  make  you  act  so  much  like  a  fool? 
You  sit  over  the  mouth  of  Milu  (hell)  like  a 
coward,  and  then  you  dance  a  crazy  dance  like 
a  maniac.  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Mean  ?  Noble  alii-nui  \  I  always  give 
the  foreign  aliis  a  chance." 

"A  chance?"  responded  Hookama  inquir- 
ingly, for  he  had  not  the  remotest  idea  of  the 
man's  meaning. 

"  Ae,  ae\  a  last  chance  to  go  back.  Many  a 
brave  chief  has  come  up  here  with  me  and  when 
I've  sat  in  that  '  yellow  crack  in  the  ground,' 
has  gladly  seized  the  chance  to  go  back  and 
let  Pele  alone.  I  tell  you  they  are  afraid  of  the 
fiery  goddess,  and  when  they  see  that  cloud  of 
white  smoke  from  her  ovens  and  feel  the  earth 
trembling  the  least  quake  they  get  so  scared  that 
they  want  to  leave,  without  even  saying  Aloha 
to  Pele.  And  I  always  help  them  off,"  added 
Lou,  with  a  malicious  twinkle  in  his  eye  and 
a  wicked  grin  on  his  face,  which  made  the 
wrinkles  show  from  chin  to  forehead. 

"Then  they  make  me  swear  by  all  the  gods, 
not  to  say  anything  about  it,  and  I  always 
swear  my  biggest  oath  and  I  keep  my  promise, 


LOU,  THE  GUIDE  TO  THE  VOLCANO.      215 

too.  If  I  didn't,  my  game  is  over,  and  I  can't 
do  it  again." 

"  But  why  do  you  want  to  do  it  again  ? 
Did  you  think  you  could  scare  met  " 

"  I  do  it  again  as  often  as  I  can,  to  get  rid 
of  climbing  over  the  big  heaps  of  lava  in  the 
crater,  and  getting  the  hogs  for  Pele,  which  is 
not  a  little  pilikia  (bother)  I  can  assure  you. 
I  am  always  glad  to  get  off  and  go  back ;  they 
give  me  a  larger  reward,  too,  to  shut  my  mouth  ; 
They  never  tell ;  they  don't  call  me  coward 
either.  Most  of  them  go  back  when  I  act  like 
that.  I  tell  you  the  biggest,  bragging  warriors 
are  terribly  afraid  of  Pele,  but  I  don't  care 
that"  snapping  his  fingers,  "  for  all  her  '  shoot- 
ing fire,'  if  I  only  watch  the  signs  at  the  crater 
and  keep  cool.  Many  a  terrible  fighter,"  added 
this  queer  little  man,  "  can't  bear  the  sight  of 
a  mouse.  If  he  sees  one  run  across  his  path 
in  the  village,  he  will  go  home  and  stay  in  all 
day,  no  matter  what  he  wants  to  do  outside  ;  " 
and  Lou,  who  never  handled  a  spear  in  his  life 
in  a  battle,  chuckled  over  the  foolish  timidity, 
in  ghostly  matters,  of  warriors  whose  courage 
in  war  could  not  be  questioned. 

Having  delivered  himself  of  these  sarcastic 
remarks,  the  clever  little  skeptic  laughed  and 
laughed  till  the  tears  ran  down  all  his  wrinkles. 

"  I  wasn't  quite  sure  about  you,  but  I  thought 


216  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

I  would  try  and  see.  You're  the  right  sort, 
my  alii-nui,  but  there  is  a  lot  that  ain't." 

"  Come  then,"  said  Hookama,  growing  im- 
patient at  the  long  delay,  "  let  us  go  on ;  we 
haven't  much  of  the  day  left  to  us."  So  on 
they  went  towards  the  home  of  the  fiery  deity 
and  her  attendant  goblins  of  flame. 

It  may  be  mentioned,  before  we  pass  on  with 
them,  that  the  "  crack"  is  called  "  Fish-Hook 
Crevice  "  to  this  day,  whenever  tourists,  hav- 
ing found  it,  ask  their  guides  to  tell  its  name. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

AN  OFFERING  TO  PELE. 

As  they  strode  along,  Hookama  inquired  of 
Lou  how  he  managed  to  cry  when  he  was 
fooling  at  the  crevice.  "  Oh,  that  was  easy 
enough,"  replied  the  kanaka,  "  you  try  it  your- 
self over  a  sulphur  crack  and  see  if  the  tears 
don't  come." 

It  was  soon  evident  that  they  were  ap- 
proaching the  lake  of  fire  (Hale-mau-mau) 
with  its  nine  miles  of  circumference,  by  the 
immense  masses  of  cooled  lava  which  through 
the  centuries  had  flowed  over  the  lip  of  the 
crater,  and  by  the  sulphur  beds  which  lie 
towards  the  west. 

About  a  mile  from  this  sulphur  plain,  and 
before  the  travellers  came  upon  it,  they  ar- 
rived at  a  depression  in  the  mountain,  cover- 
ing hundreds  of  acres  and  filled  with  rank 
grass  and  a  few  scrubby  plants.  "  Here,"  said 


218  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Lou,  "  are  the  wild  hogs  from  which  we  will 
get  a  couple  for  Pele.  It  is  the  custom  and 
we  may  as  well  conform  to  it,  because,  if  we 
chance  to  meet  Pele's  priestess,  who  lives  in 
Hilo  and  comes  up  now  and  then  to  sacrifice, 
she  will  tell  Keawe  that  we  did  not  give  the  god- 
dess any  offering.  Then  woe  to  me !  Oh,  she 
is  a  terrible  woman.  If  she  points  out  a  native, 
the  priests  have  him  secretly  strangled,  and 
even  the  Chief  Keawe  is  afraid  of  her  wrath. 
But  now  take  care ;  this  low  ground  is  full 
of  pit-holes  and  seams  " — and  without  further 
remark  away  ran  Lou,  as  rapidly  as  if  the  en- 
tire area  were  safe  as  a  road  and  smooth  as  a 
floor.  It  was  only  a  few  moments  after  the 
guide's  disappearance,  when  Hookama  heard 
his  voice  calling  for  help.  His  cries  were  in- 
termingled with  squeals.  He  followed  the 
musical  sounds  and  discovered  Lou  at  the 
bottom  of  a  big  hole  struggling  with  a  porker. 
It  was  no  easy  thing  to  subdue  a  wild  hog  in  a 
hole  in  the  ground. 

Hookama  was  inclined  to  take  the  part  of 
an  amused  spectator,  while  the  contest  as- 
sumed a  comical  aspect,  first  the  guide  over 
the  pig  and  then  the  pig  on  top.  Occasionally 
the  beast  slipped  one  side  and  the  scramble 
became  lively.  At  last  Lou  managed  to  sit 
on  the  pig  and  having  an  interval  of  repose 


AN  OFFERING  TO  PELS,  219 

looked  up  at  Hookama  with  a  pathetic  expres- 
sion while  his  bowlegswere  wound  around  the 
animal,  holding  him  fast. 

The  guide's  expression  of  utter  helplessness 
threw  the  young  alii  into  an  uncontrollable 
fit  of  laughter,  which  angered  Lou  and  gave 
him  strength  enough  to  grasp  the  pig  by 
the  tail  and  the  long  snout,  and  throw  him 
up  towards  Hookama.  The  athletic  youth 
somehow  caught  the  animal,  and  now  it 
was  his  turn  to  sit  on  him  while  Lou  scrambled 
out  of  the  hole.  The  scion  of  many  genera- 
tions of  chiefs,  with  the  help  of  the  guide, 
managed  to  tie  the  four  legs  of  the  pig  to- 
gether with  a  cord  of  cocoa-nut  fibre,  and  then 
Lou  went  off  for  a  second  offering  to  Pele, 
which  was  procured  more  easily. 

To  carry  a  pig,  the  natives  usually  strung  it, 
back  downwards,  on  a  pole  which  they  placed 
on  their  shoulders,  two  men  to  a  pig.  But 
this  time,  there  were  two  men  and  two 
pigs.  Each  therefore  was  obliged  to  carry  his 
own  burden  on  his  back.  Under  these  condi- 
tions, it  was  impossible  for  Hookama,  holding 
the  struggling,  squealing  porker  on  his  shoul- 
ders, to  contemplate  with  appropriate  so- 
lemnity the  supernatural  possibilities  of  the 
occasion.  At  last  they  emerged  upon  the 
brink  of  the  immense  circle  whose  cliff-like 


KELEA :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


walls  enclosed  the  area  of  the  crater.  Down 
into  this  chaotic  depression  they  had  to 
scramble  bearing  their  noisy  and  active  victims. 
And  when  the  two  men,  with  varying  emo- 
tions connected  with  their  melodious  porter- 
age, had  descended  the  precipitous  side  of  the 
crater  and  toiled  over  vast  mounds  and  billows 
of  cooled  lava,  grouped  in  monstrous  and  fan- 
tastic forms  like  petrified  antidiluvian  Saurians, 
Hookama's  chief  thought  was  to  rid  himself 
of  his  annoying  burden  as  speedily  as  possible. 
This  he  did  the  instant  he  arrived  at  the 
"  house  of  everlasting  fire." 

Each  cast  his  struggling  victim  into  the 
seething  cauldron  of  molten  lava,  and  though 
it  was  required  of  Pele's  worshippers  to  invoke 
her  favor  by  a  formula  of  submission,  Hook- 
ama  forgot  all  about  it,  and  Lou  thought 
such  a  waste  of  good  pork  needed  no  waste  of 
words.  Thus,  the  final  squeals  of  the  victims 
were  the  only  ritualistic  utterances  that  accom- 
panied the  sacrifice. 

When  the  offerings  were  duly  acknowledged 
by  a  sputtering  hiss  as  they  plunged  into  the 
fiery  waves,  a  marvellous  change  came  over 
the  spirit  of  the  young  alii.  If  it  is  an  easy 
step  from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  a 
sudden  transition  in  the  opposite  direction  in- 
volves indescribable  emotions. 


Atf  OFFERING  TO  PELS. 


It  was  at  the  verge  of  the  less  awful  lake  of 
fire  (for  there  were  two  of  them)  that  the 
twain  dropped  their  burdens  into  the  flames. 
Then  Lou  led  Hookama  across  more  rough 
surface  of  the  great  crater  and,  saying  that  he 
was  going  on  watch,  clambered  to  the  top  of  a 
cone  of  lava  about  twelve  feet  high,  perching 
there  and  munching  a  banana  which  he  had 
brought  with  him.  He  threw  the  banana  skins 
into  the  hole  of  the  cone,  which  had  served  as 
a  chimney  for  escaping  gases,  and  looked  down 
into  the  seething  whirlpool  of  fire  forty  feet 
away  as  unconcernedly  as  if  he  were  gazing  at 
a  calm  landscape  from  the  top  of  a  tree. 

Not  so  Hookama !  Although  somewhat 
reassured  by  the  careless  attitude  of  his  com- 
panion, the  emotions  that  took  possession  of 
every  faculty  of  his  soul  were  absolutely  over- 
whelming. Lou  had  left  him  in  a  tolerably 
secure  place,  on  a  bank  of  hardened  lava,  over- 
looking the  pit  a  thousand  feet  in  diameter, 
where  the  fiery  sea  raged,  leaping  upwards 
and  bearing  on  its  molten  billows  huge  blocks 
of  red-hot  lava — which  were  again  sucked 
downward  in  eddies  of  the  agitated  mass. 

Hookama  had  often  stood  on  the  verge  of 
cliffs  when  the  sea  was  lashed  into  fury  by  the 
violence  of  storms,  and  had  seen  the  waves  in 
the  shock  and  recoil  of  terrific  encounter  with 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


the  sharp  pointed  rocks.  That  sight  he  had 
enjoyed,  as  any  bold  youth,  accustomed  to 
wild  scenes  of  nature,  would  enjoy  a  contest 
in  which  familiar  forces  are  engaged  with  bois- 
terous fury.  But  here  were  new  elements  of 
wholly  unknown,  bewildering  and  fierce  agen- 
cies on  which  his  eye  had  never  looked  and 
which  his  imagination  had  never  conceived. 
Storms,  hurricanes  and  even  earthquakes  were 
less  appalling,  in  comparison  with  the  fierce 
rage  and  delirium  of  a  fiery  gulf,  belching 
steam  and  hurling  hot  masses  into  space. 

One  may  brace  himself  to  confront  the  sea 
or  a  tempest ;  but  the  paroxysm  of  flaming 
waves  and  fuming  fire-spouts  leaves  him  no 
resources  with  which  to  wage  battle.  A  fierce 
jet  of  flame,  reaching  out  to  clutch  an  object, 
be  it  a  man,  a  tree  or  a  tower  of  rock,  is  a 
monster  from  the  central  depths  of  the  earth, 
which  it  is  useless  to  oppose.  The  spirit  of 
man  reels  when  it  encounters  the  heat  of  effer- 
vescing exhalations  from  boiling  caverns  un- 
derneath his  feet. 

Fling  a  tree-trunk  into  the  angriest  waves 
and  it  appears  again,  but  let  a  block  of  wood 
however  huge  touch  the  surface  of  a  whirlpool 
of  fire  and  it  disappears  at  once  and  forever. 

No  whistling  of  the  wind  in  the  most  furious 
storm  can  equal  the  deafening  noise  of  com- 


AN  OFFERING  TO  PELE.  223 

pressed  and  heated  air,  suddenly  issuing  from 
a  rent  in  the  earth.  No  vortex,  even  of  the 
spouting  cave  of  Kaala,  can  devour  the  waves ; 
as  the  centripetal  action  of  a  whirlpool  of  fire 
carries  a  wallowing  mass  of  lava  into  the  depths 
below. 

Everything,  below,  above,  was  infernal ;  the 
shrieks,  the  flame,  the  moving  mass,  the 
mantling  lurid  clouds,  the  caving  banks  and 
glittering  showers  of  scattered  lava  falling 
back  into  the  horrible  chasm,  all  raged  and  raved 
like  fiendish  embodiments  of  beings  hot  from 
the  unutterable  realms  of  agony  and  despair. 

Hookama  was  overpowered  by  the  awful 
scene;  convulsive  throes  shook  his  powerful 
frame,  and  terror,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life, 
seized  him,  and  made  his  heart  pulsate  with 
throbbings  so  violent  that  he  almost  sank 
upon  the  lava  hillock  where  he  stood.  Then 
the  mysterious  and  tremendous  sights  and 
sounds  fascinated  and  intoxicated  him  ;  cool- 
headed  as  he  was  under  ordinary  conditions, 
now  he  longed  to  get  nearer  the  quivering 
monster,  which  seemed  alive  and  conscious  of 
his  presence. 

It  beckoned  him  to  its  embrace.  It  was  an- 
imate with  a  personality.  Out  of  the  foldings 
of  gray,  glistening  lava  surfaces,  eyes  of  fire 
looked  at  him,  as  if  claiming  him  and  urging 


224  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

him  to  come.  A  great  seam  from  which  sul- 
phurous steam  escaped  with  deafening  noise, 
warned  him  of  the  danger,  but  he  heeded  it 
not,  although  he  was  conscious  of  the  peril. 

He  crossed  the  crack  and  stood  over  the 
abyss,  as  if  ready  to  leap  into  its  embrace. 
Suddenly  the  sound  of  a  surge  striking  below 
was  heard  ;  the  ledge  on  which  he  stood  trem- 
bled and  shook ;  still  the  infatuated  gazer  hesi- 
tated, and  would  have  stayed  transfixed,  had 
not  something  jerked  back  his  palpitating 
form.  A  moment  later  and  the  projection  on 
which  he  had  been  standing  split  off  and  was 
engulfed  in  the  fiery  lake. 

A  human  voice  recalled  him  to  himself,  as 
he  lay  panting  on  the  ledge,  at  the  very  edge 
of  the  fissure  he  had  so  wildly  crossed  ;  it  was 
the  high-pitched,  squeaky  voice  of  Lou,  who 
sprang  from  his  perch,  as  he  saw  Hookama 
drawing  near  the  pit,  and  had  caught  him 
in  the  nick  of  time.  It  is  hardly  conceivable 
that  the  little  fellow  could  pull  back  the 
stalwart  man,  but  the  peril  gave  him  almost 
superhuman  power  and  his  friend  was  saved. 

With  eyeballs  seared,  hair  and  eyebrows 
singed,  the  soles  of  his  feet  like  parchment  and 
the  tapa  he  had  worn,  scorched,  Hookama 
lay  supine  and  powerless  ;  the  Kanaka  stood 
astride  his  body,  as  if  afraid  he  might  attempt 


AN  OFFERING  TO  PELS.  22$ 

the  perilous  experiment  again.  "  You're  too 
good  an  egg  for  that  oven,  my  a/u,"  said  the 
bow-legged  rescuer.  We  gave  Pele  two  pigs  ; 
isn't  that  enough  ?  must  she  have  an  alii  for  a 
companion,  too?  I  thought  you  had  more 
sense  than  a  hen ;  and  I  didn't  want  to  deliver 
your  ghost  to  Keawe,  without  your  bones. 
Ka,  ha,  ha!  But  it's  getting  hot  here;  climb 
up  on  a  blowhole,  and  look  down  into  the 
pit  if  you  want  to,  but  we  can't  stay  here. 
See,  see  ! "  he  exclaimed,  with  terror  in  his 
voice,  "the  mound  shakes!  Jump — -jump!" 
and  the  two  men  had  just  time  to  leave  the 
hillock,  when  that  too  fell  with  a  fearful  crash, 
and  they  saw  it  rolling,  till  it  tumbled  with  a 
splash  and  a  boom  into  the  molten  sea  below. 
The  surface  of  the  fiery  lake  was  sinking. 

The  whole  crust  of  the  larger  crater  heaved 
and  swayed  ;  the  inactive  blowholes  far  and 
near  emitted  steam  and  gases.  Even  the  one 
on  which  Lou  had  been  seated  gave  out  hot 
vapor,  and  on  the  right,  a  big  stream  of  red 
hot  lava  burst  forth  and  ran  in  a  torrent  down 
the  side  of  the  mound. 

It  was  a  fearful  moment.  Hookama  had  no 
time  to  think  whether  Pele  had  a  hand  in  these 
disturbances  or  not ;  the  two  men  ran  for 
their  lives.  They  dodged  the  steam  jets  from 
the  seams  ;  they  held  their  tapa  to  their  faces 


226  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

to  enable  them  to  breathe  as  they  crossed  the 
smoking  sulphur  beds,  and  had  it  not  been  for 
Lou's  general  knowledge  of  the  surface  and 
of  the  action  of  the  larger  crater,  they  must 
have  missed  their  way  and  been  caught  in  the 
erratic  movements  of  the  oscillating  crust. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

A  CHALLENGE   TO   PELE. 

IT  was  two  miles  and  a  half  to  the  place 
where  they  had  descended  from  the  cliff, 
which  was  like  a  wall  extending  nine  miles  in 
circumference  around  the  volcanic  basin. 

When  previously  they  crossed  the  surface  of 
this  immense  crater  carrying  their  pigs  for 
Pele's  maw,  the  distance  seemed  shorter  to 
Hookama,  so  intense  was  his  expectation  of 
the  spectacle  awaiting  him. 

But  now,  the  course  stretched  out  inter- 
minably. They  could  not  shorten  the  distance 
by  climbing  out  at  some  other  place,  the 
wall  elsewhere  being  almost  perpendicular. 
To  add  to  their  distress,  they  saw  on  the  cliff 
above  them  a  strange  figure,  wildly  gesticula- 
ting and  shouting  in  a  shrill  voice  unintelligi- 
ble words.  Lou  was  much  more  alarmed  than 
Hookama. 


228  KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

"  It  is  the  priestess,  and  she  is  angry  with 
us."  The  Kanaka  was  more  afraid  of  her  than 
of  the  fiery  crater. 

Sharply  defined  against  the  sky,  the  woman, 
with  dishevelled  hair  and  rasping  voice, 
screamed  her  maledictions  on  the  impious 
intruders,  who  had  dared  to  invade  the 
sanctuary  of  the  goddess,  without  the  aid  of 
her  consecrated  priestess.  Invoking  curses  on 
them  as  they  ran  breathlessly  over  the  heaving 
and  swelling  crust  of  the  crater,  she  kept 
abreast  of  them  in  their  course,  with  the  evi- 
dent intention  of  meeting  and  confronting 
them  when  they  should  come  up  out  of  the 
black  valley  of  death,  in  case  her  prayers  for 
their  destruction  did  not  take  effect. 

Lou's  undevout  and  scoffing  spirit  could  not 
resist  the  terror  with  which  the  old  Kehuna  in- 
spired him.  He  cared  nothing  for  her  sorcery 
and  incantations,  but  if  she  denounced  him 
to  Keawe  or  the  priests,  his  life  would  not  be 
worth  the  value  of  a  shell  upon  the  shore. 
She  soon  recognized  him,  as  he  came  nearer, 
and  all  the  passionate  demonstrations  at  her 
command  broke  forth  in  a  flow  of  denunciation 
like  the  fiery  rush  of  a  lava  stream.  The  little 
heathen  trembled  like  an  aspen  leaf.  He  be- 
sought Hookama  to  go  on  before,  though  both 
were  running  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry 


A  CHALLENGE  TO  PELE.  229 

them  over  the  unstable  crust,  and  he  declared 
he  would  jump  into  the  first  crack  they  came 
to,  unless  the  alii  would  placate  for  him  this 
demon  of  a  witch. 

To  pacify  the  Kanaka,  Hookama  climbed 
up  the  zig-zag  bank,  as  soon  as  the  wall  of  the 
large  crater  was  reached,  leaving  Lou  to  come 
on  when  he  could  muster  enough  courage  to 
meet  his  dreaded  enemy.  Much  to  his  sur- 
prise, the  aged  hag  met  him  as  he  emerged, 
held  out  her  skinny  hand  to  help  him  up  the  last 
steep  ascent  and  bowed  before  him  reverently, 
calling  him  alii-nui  (great  chief),  with  various 
posturings  and  expressions  indicating  good  will. 

"  Why  did  you,  oh,  sorceress!  curse  me  and 
call  down  Pele's  wrath  upon  me  ?  "  asked  Hook- 
ama, as  soon  as  he  could  interject  a  word. 

"  Ah  !  alii-nui !  Son  of  the  gods,  of  whom 
it  has  been  whispered  in  my  dreams ;  behold 
me  the  guardian  and  priestess  of  Pele.  Those 
she  destroys,  I  curse ;  those  she  saves,  I  bless. 
My  curses  were  on  you,  lest  you  perish  and  I 
had  not  cursed  you.  I  curse  whom  Pele  des- 
troys and  I  bless  whom  Pele  saves.  How  could 
I  know  that  she  would  save  you  and  that  mis- 
erable, bandy-legged  despiser  of  the  fiery  god- 
dess?" 

"  Then  you  must  now  bless  us  both,  oh 
Kahu !  for  Pele  has  saved  both ;  and  my 


23o  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

comrade  Lou,"  (who  was  listening  under  the 
cliff  and  poked  his  head  up  at  hearing  this 
conclusion,)  "  he  too  has  made  his  sacrifice  to 
the  dread  ruler  of  Kilauea." 

"  Spoken  like  a  chief  and  the  son  of  a  chief," 
replied  the  priestess ;  and  Lou  echoed  the 
sentiment  under  his  breath,  as  if  much  relieved. 
"  Come,"  continued  the  old  crone,  "  and  be 
safe  under  my  roof.  To-night  will  witness 
Pele's  most  sacred  rites.  See,"  pointing  to 
the  Lake  of  Fire,  "  how  she  lifts  her  columns 
of  flame  to  the  skies." 

It  was  indeed  a  fearful  manifestation  of 
power;  both  lakes  were  sending  fountains  of 
red-hot  lava  into  the  air,  which  vibrated 
with  intonations  and  reverberations. 

The  Priestess  led  Hookama  (Lou  following 
at  a  few  paces  in  the  rear  and  keeping  behind 
the  chief,)  along  the  bank  till  two  small  huts 
were  reached,  on  the  western  and  upper  cliff  of 
the  crater,  from  which  point  a  view  was  had  of 
the  burning  cauldrons,  miles  away  and  hun- 
dreds of  feet  below. 

The  darkness  came  on  apace.  But  for  the 
flames  of  Kilauea,  the  gloom  would  have  been 
oppressive.  In  the  glare  of  the  fiery  pit,  the 
heavens  were  bright  with  lurid  beams  and  the 
oval  crest  of  Mauna  Loa  was  seen  beneath 
the  stars.  The  clash  and  roar  of  the  crater 


A  CHALLENGE  TO  PELE.  231 

sounded  like  thunders  of  artillery  as  Hookama 
and  the  Priestess  sat  upon  the  cliff,  near  a  fire 
which  the  Kahuna,  human  enough  to  shiver  in 
the  cold,  had  kindled.  As  for  Lou,  he  crept 
into  the  hut  provided  for  guests,  and  soon 
dropped  off  to  sleep. 

On  a  ragged  mat,  with  a  thick  mantle  of 
coarse  tapa  over  her  bony  shoulders,  her  gray 
hair,  thin  and  blowing  in  the  wind,  the  proph- 
etess sat  gazing  steadily  at  the  coruscating  fires. 
Higher  and  higher  the  molten  jets  were  flung  in- 
to the  air  from  the  awful  laboratory  of  flame. 
So  grand  was  the  sight  that  Hookama  felt  the 
strongest  impulse  to  worship  that  he  had  ever 
experienced. 

"  This  must  be  the  work  of  a  god,"  he  mur- 
mured to  himself;  loud  enough,  however,  for 
the  Kahuna  to  hear  the  words.  Turning  on 
him  her  strange,  glittering  eyes,  she  answered 
his  thought,  "Ae-ae  !  K'Alii,  the  terrible  vol- 
canic deities  rule  here ;  let  him  who  denies  it, 
light  a kukui-torch  and  see;"  (that  is,  compare 
the  light  of  a  candle  with  that  of  the  volcano.) 
"  Now,  the  most  benignant  of  Pele's  sisters, 
adorned  with  garlands,  hangs  her  fiery  flowers 
in  the  sky.  But  let  her  unappeasable  sister,  the 
heaven-rending  one,  show  her  might  and  we 
sit  here  at  our  peril." 

"  Then,  you  really  believe  in  Pele  and  her 


232  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

tribe?"  said  Hookama  suddenly,  as  if  giving 
utterance  to  the  deepest  questioning  of  his 
own  mind. 

"Believe  in  Pele?"  the  offended  witch 
quickly  and  angrily  replied.  "  Believe  ?  I 
know — See,  see,  there  she  rises  out  of  the 
abyss ;  my  eyes  burn  with  the  sight — shame 
and  grief  to  him  who  doubts  !  " 

Hookama  looked  towards  the  smaller  crater 
and  from  the  incandescent  abyss  a  fiery  spray 
arose ;  out  of  the  spray,  a  white  cloud,  thin- 
ning, spreading,  glowing  and  sending  abroad 
a  radiant  reflection  like  the  arms  of  an  aerial 
divinity  dropping  hot  showers  into  the  molten 
mass  below.  Then  from  the  apex  of  the  col- 
umn, far  up  towards  the  stars,  a  burst,  blood-red, 
revealed  a  fiery  cluster  like  a  crown  resting  on 
the  head  of  the  goddess  of  fire.  A  sudden 
movement  of  the  arms — a  boom — a  crash — and 
the  fountain  of  gold  and  blood  and  mist  sank 
into  the  glowing  furnace  beneath. 

The  youth  staggered  to  his  feet,  lifted  his 
arms  high  over  his  head  and  cried  in  loudest 
tones,  "He-Akua-ia!  He-Akua-ia!  (It  is  a  god! 
It  is  a  god  ! )" 

The  sorceress  leaving  him  to  his  own  further 
meditations,  with  a  parting  Aloha,  crept  under 
the  thatched  roof  of  her  low  hut  and  was  seen 
no  more  that  night.  Hookama  stood  in  wrapt 


A  CHALLENGE  TO  PELE.  233 

wonder  and  gazed  at  the  sea  of  burning  lava 
and  the  fountains  of  fire  at  his  feet. 

"  What  then  is  a  god  ? "  he  instinctively 
asked  himself,  as  a  child  would  ask  "  Who  is 
God  ?  "  He  recalled  the  salutation  to  him  of 
the  old  king  of  Hawaii,  when  he  said,  "  You 
are  the  son  of  a  god."  He  thought  of  the  sal- 
utation of  the  priestess  of  Pele,  when  he  met 
her  after  escaping  from  the  crater.  "  '  Son  of 
a  god  ! '  Is  a  god  like  me  ?  I  can  fight,  throw 
a  heavy  spear,  swim,  kill  a  shark,  climb  a.pali — 
but  I  cannot  set  fire  to  the  earth  ;  I  cannot 
mount  the  cloud  and  throw  fire  sparks  around 
like  handfuls  of  sand  :  'Son  of  a  god?'  Then, 
of  what  god  ?  Perhaps  of  a  greater  god  than 
Pele, — or  Lono,  or  Kane." 

The  youth,  hardly  conscious  of  his  actions, 
thrilled  and  excited  by  the  grandeur  and  sub- 
limity of  the  scene  before  him,  intoxicated  by 
the  vague  possibility  of  kinship  with  higher 
being,  as  low  savages  are  sometimes  conscious 
of  kinship  with  inferior  animals,  in  a  moment 
of  exaltation,  pride,  presumption  (call  it  what 
you  will),  assumed  an  attitude  of  command, 
folded  his  arms,  raised  his  muscular  form  to  its 
utmost  height,  and  in  loudest  tones  shouted 
across  the  chasm  from  the  cliff  on  which  he 
stood  :  "  The  son  of  a  greater  god  than  Pele 
commands  her  fires  to  cease  !  " 


234  KELEA:   THE  SURF-RIDER. 

This,  the  visionary  young  man  repeated 
thrice ;  each  repetition  in  a  louder  tone  ;  and 
when  the  reverberations  of  his  voice  sank  into 
the  clang  and  roar  of  the  volcano,  he  stood  still 
and  waited  for  the  result.  The  fountains  of 
yellow  and  bloody  fire  continued  to  sparkle  and 
leap  into  the  air.  The  lava  stream  still  flowed 
down  the  slope  of  the  vast  cone,  and  the  blow- 
holes shrilly  whistled  as  before.  There  was  a 
slight  earthquake,  a  trembling,  a  succession  of 
eruptions  and  new  seams  in  the  surface  of  the 
larger  crater,  but  no  signs  of  important  changes 
in  Pele's  fiery  manifestations. 

The  youth  had  not  really  believed  in  his 
assumed  prerogative  as  "  a  son  of  a  god  :  "  He 
had  been  carried  away  in  a  fatuous  mood  of 
bewildered  feeling  ;  and  now  that  nothing  fol- 
lowed his  outburst  of  foolish  assumption,  and 
as  he  began  to  shiver  with  cold,  the  koa-wood 
brands  hardly  showing  a  spark  of  fire,  his 
dream  vanished,  his  strange  sensation  passed 
and  a  great  loneliness  came  upon  him,  as  if, 
amid  these  awful  sights  and  sounds,  his  abso- 
lute powerlessness  was  uppermost  in  his  mind, 
and  his  puny  self  was  less  than  nothing. 

The  contrast  of  this  state  of  feeling,  with  the 
vanity  and  arrogance  of  his  half  involuntary 
presumption,  made  him  afraid  that  Pele  her- 
self, or  some  invisible  power,  might  draw  him 


A  CHALLENGE  TO  PELE.  235 

into  the  fiery  gulf  and  drown  him  in  its  waves. 
He  felt  small,  and  timid,  and  almost  guilty,  as 
he  hurried  into  the  hut  where  Lou  was  snor- 
ing loudly,  and  where  he  found,  even  in  this 
vulgar,  human  sound,  a  kind  of  sheltering  and 
reassuring  companionship. 

Lou  had  not  heard  his  repeated  commands 
to  Pele  to  stop  her  fireworks,  and  would  have 
considered  it  a  good  jest  if  he  had  heard  them. 
But  the  priestess  in  her  hut  heard  them,  and 
muttered,  "  Pele  will  take  care  of  the  presump- 
tuous youngster,  whether  he  is  the  son  of  a 
god  or  not."  Then  she  closed  her  eyes,  too 
weary  even  to  roll  over  on  her  mat  to  see 
what  would  be  the  result. 

The  morning  sun  arose,  a  radiant  disc  from 
the  ocean,  and  the  calm  stillness  of  the  air  con- 
trasted strangely  with  the  din  and  turmoil  of 
the  previous  night.  Hookama,  after  fitful 
slumbers  and  uncanny  dreams,  crawled  out  of 
the  low  entrance  of  the  hut  where  he  had 
passed  the  night,  and  when  he  stood  up  to 
survey  the  scene  which  had  so  thrilled  and  in- 
toxicated him  a  few  hours  before,  what  was 
his  amazement  to  behold  scarcely  a  thin  thread 
of  yellow  vapor  rising  from  the  smaller  lake 
with  hardly  a  vestige  of  the  flaming  surface 
and  not  a  fountain  or  a  jet  of  flame. 

The    immense     crater    enclosing    the    two 


236  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

lakes  of  fire  had  sunk  in  the  middle  like  the 
collapse  of  a  suddenly  cooled  crust,  leaving  a 
black  ledge,  hundreds  of  feet  below  the  dark 
wall  of  circumference.  The  orifices  had  en- 
larged ;  fiery  masses  were  still  falling  from  the 
sides,  but  the  great  central  mound  seemed  to  be 
gradually  subsiding.  The  red-hot  lava  hung 
over  the  emptied  lake-basins  like  crags  drop- 
ping slow  cataracts  into  the  bottomless  cavities 
beneath. 

But  far  towards  the  southeast  a  line  of 
yellowish  vapor,  mingled  with  dark  puffs  of 
upward  rolling  smoke,  carried  Hookama's  eye 
towards  the  Bay  of  Hilo,  and  told  the  story  of 
a  lava-stream,  bursting  from  the  side  of  the 
mountain  from  subterranean  conduits,  and, 
like  a  flaming,  sluggish  river  of  fire,  licking  up 
all  vegetation  and  even  the  loose  earth,  in  its 
passage  to  the  sea.  Hookama  gazed  in  won- 
dering awe.  He  was  dumb  before  the  astound- 
ing sight. 

The  changed  appearance  of  the  crater  was 
so  complete  and  the  dismal  aspect  of  the 
scene  so  depressing  that  the  youth  was  more 
bewildered  than  when  he  had  looked  the  night 
before  into  the  fiery  vortex  of  electric  flame. 

Not  long,  however,  had  he  time  to  wonder 
whether  the  scenes  of  yesterday  were  not  a 
creation  of  the  fancy,  and  whether  or  not  his 


A  CHALLENGE  TO  PELE.  237 

present  vision  was  a  reality,  for  hearing  steps 
and  turning  around  he  found  the  prophetess, 
prone  on  the  earth  at  his  feet  in  the  attitude 
of  the  Kulou;  a  custom  which  compelled 
all  persons,  on  penalty  of  death,  to  prostrate 
themselves  before  a  sacred  chief,  (alii  kapii),  to 
whom  almost  divine  honors  were  paid. 

Pretty  soon,  out  crawled  Lou  from  his 
cramped  lodging,  and  seeing  the  priestess  on 
the  ground,  he  too,  involuntarily  threw  himself 
down,  his  face  in  his  hands  and  his  hands  in 
the  black  lava-dust  of  the  earth.  No  native 
dared  rise  from  this  posture  till  the  sacred  alii 
had  passed  along,  or  had  commanded  him  to 
get  up.  Then  he  must  crawl  backwards  on 
all  fours  and  only  when  the  alii 's  back  was 
turned,  could  he  stand  erect. 

Hookama  looked  at  the  two  grovelling 
figures  with  a  quizzical  expression  on  his  face, 
and  told  them  to  get  up,  but  as  he  did  not  use 
the  proper  formula,  neither  stirred  a  muscle. 
The  youth  seized  Lou  by  the  shoulders, 
set  him  on  his  feet,  told  him  to  get  the  bundles 
from  the  hut  and  come  along.  He  then 
turned  to  the  prophetess,  whose  sprawling  fig- 
ure was  fantastic  enough,  with  great  folds  of 
flesh  hanging  from  her  neck,  and  her  brown, 
wrinkled  skin  showing  through  the  rents  in 
her  ragged  tapa  mantle.  He  tried  his  best  to 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


get  a  parting  word  from  her,  but  she  was  so 
seriously  impressed  by  the  power  he  had 
shown  in  putting  out  the  fires  of  the  crater, 
that  she  neither  spoke  nor  moved  till  he  was 
out  of  sight. 

Hookama,  without  looking  back  to  see  if 
Lou  was  following  him,  walked  rapidly  along 
the  edge  of  the  crater,  wondering  at  the  tran- 
sition from  a  scene  of  conflagration  to  one  of 
black  and  smoking  desolation.  Taking  a  last 
look  down  into  the  immense  abyss,  he  turned 
to  the  right  and  crossed  the  sulphur  beds, 
where  from  seams  and  cracks  the  fumes  were 
rising  with  a  peculiar  odor. 

Holding  his  hand  over  one  of  these  fissures, 
the  steam  gave  him  such  a  pleasant  sensation 
that  he  took  off  his  tapa  mantle  and  his  ma/o, 
and  crouching  over  the  aperture,  while  he 
shielded  his  face  from  the  sulphurous  jet,  en- 
joyed the  luxury,  of  which  the  gods,  having 
no  corporeal  frames,  might  well  envy  him  the 
delight.  His  joints  became  supple,  his  flesh 
soft.  The  warm  vapor  took  away  all  stiffness 
and  aches.  He  felt  like  a  new  being,  endued 
with  fresh  vitality,  and  when  he  had  revelled 
in  the  delectable  refreshment  to  his  heart's 
content  he  lay  down  on  the  soft,  greasy,  im- 
pregnated earth  and  was  half  inclined  to  go 
back  and  challenge  Pele  again  to  her  face. 


A  CHALLENGE  TO  PELE.  239 

The  coming  of  Lou,  however,  put  all  super- 
natural affairs  out  of  his  mind,  as  the  droll 
little  man  informed  him  that  before  he  left  the 
priestess,  seeing  that  she  was  still  prostrated 
on  the  earth  and  apparently  oblivious  of  all  the 
surroundings,  he  had  slyly  shot  some  mice  and 
laid  them  on  the  threshold  of  her  hut, 
"  which  will  keep  her  out  of  it,"  said  he,  "a 
day  or  two  at  least,  till  the  birds  come  and 
carry  them  off.  If  the  old  hag,"  he  added,  "  gets 
back  to  Hilo  before  we  do,  she  will  tell  every 
body  what  you  did  to  Pele,  and  then  we 
shall  see  fine  sport  on  our  return." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO  OAHU. 

EARLY  on  the  morning  of  the  tornado 
which  landed  Kelea  on  the  island  of  Oahu, 
Numuku,  who  had  slept  uneasily  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  night,  aroused  himself, 
stretched  his  big  legs,  and,  with  a  grunt  of 
disgust,  stood  up  and  shook  himself.  A 
savage  has  the  advantage  of  being  dressed  as 
soon  as  he  gets  upon  his  feet ;  he  runs  his 
fingers  through  his  hair,  adjusts  his  malo,  pos- 
sibly throws  a  tapa  mantle  over  his  shoulders 
if  it  is  cold,  and  is  ready  to  meet  the  new  day. 
If  a  pool  or  stream  is  near  at  hand,  he  may 
plunge  into  it  before  he  eats  his /02,  or  in  the 
case  of  a  chief,  his  attendants  may  groom  him, 
rubbing  down  his  limbs  and  polishing  him  off 
with  oils,  or  the  fat  of  hogs,  the  odor  of 
which  announces  his  approach  at  a  score  of 
yards. 


KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO  OAHU.      241 

In  the  case  of  Numuku,  his  anxiety  allowed 
him  no  time  for  this  elaborate  toilet ;  he  took 
a  draught  of  awa  from  a  calabash,  and  with 
sullen  look,  like  a  dog  with  a  wicked  eye,  strode 
out  of  the  door  to  survey  the  scene.  It  was  a 
cheerless  spectacle  in  spite  of  the  clear  sky  and 
the  glorious  sunrise.  On  every  hand  devasta- 
tion, trees  broken  down,  huts  unroofed,  fruits 
scattered  on  the  ground,  while  in  the  distance, 
the  sea,  not  yet  quieted  after  the  storm,  was 
white  with  foamy  crests  and  tumultuous 
waves.  The  havoc  around  him  did  not  serve 
to  allay  Numuku's  irritable  temper;  he  was  in 
a  mood  to  wreak  his  vengeance  for  his  losses 
on  anything  that  came  in  his  way. 

Pu'  Aloha  awoke,  that  morning,  filled  with 
apprehension  as  to  the  fate  of  Hookama,  and 
when  the  bright  dawn  appeared  she  aroused 
Menehune  who  had  dropped  off  into  sleep. 
His  jerky,  disjointed  sentences,  in  reply  to  her 
hurried  questions,  did  little  to  compose  her 
feelings.  She  gathered  from  his  words,  how- 
ever, that  there  were  no  tidings  from  Hookama 
and  that  possibly  he  might  have  been  involved 
in  the  casualties  of  the  storm. 

When  then  she  saw  the  bulky  form  of  the 
chief  striding  towards  the  lookout  on  the  bluff, 
obeying  her  first  impulse  she  ran  towards  the 
place  where  he  halted,  her  hair  dishevelled 


242  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

and  her  tapa  twisted  hastily  about  her  ;  but 
his  agitated  manner  arrested  her  steps,  and  in 
a  flutter  of  misgiving  she  stood  trembling  at 
some  distance  behind  him.  When  he  turned 
towards  her  she  drew  near,  although  her 
heart  was  beating  as  if  it  would  burst.  Nu- 
muku  said  nothing,  but,  every  now  and  then, 
the  grunt  that  escaped  his  lips,  a  sound  between 
a  growl  and  a  snort,  showed  the  state  of  his 
mind  very  clearly  and  increased  the  discomfort 
of  the  young  girl. 

She  thought  of  turning  back  and  getting 
away  from  the  surly  chief,  when,  glancing 
down  the  path  leading  towards  the  sea,  her 
eye  caught  the  sight  of  two  men  carrying  a 
third  on  their  shoulders,  while  a  fourth  fol- 
lowed at  a  short  distance  with  some  objects 
in  his  hands.  The  chief  had  already  seen  the 
approaching  group  and  as  they  came  nearer, 
he  went  towards  the  opening  of  the  enclosure, 
sharply  bidding  Pu'  Aloha  to  stay  where  she 
was. 

Her  excitement  now  became  intense.  Was 
it  Hookama,  borne  by  the  two  men  ?  Was  he 
dead  or  only  hurt?  She  could  hardly  control 
her  over-wrought  impulse  to  disobey  the  chief 
and  rush  after  him.  As  Numuku  went  out- 
side the  enclosure  to  meet  the  little  party, 
which  halted  at  a  place  in  the  path  that  con- 


KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO  OAHU.      243 

cealed  them  from  Pu'  Aloha,  she  sank  on  the 
ground,  all  her  fortitude  giving  way,  and 
rocked  herself  to  and  fro,  with  cries  and  irre- 
pressible wailings. 

At  last  she  saw  the  men  pass  the  opening, 
carrying  their  burden,  and  immediately  Nu- 
muku  entered  the  enclosure,  followed  by  the 
man  who  still  held  the  things  in  his  hands. 
The  pathetic  sight  of  the  disconsolate  child 
seemed  to  touch  the  rough  savage,  and  speak- 
ing as  kindly  as  he  could,  he  told  her  that  the 
dead  man  was  the  inferior  chief  who  had  led  a 
party  of  men  at  the  beach  with  orders  to  save, 
if  they  could,  any  persons  cast  on  the  shore 
during  the  terrific  storm.  There  were  ten 
men  in  the  company,  and  seven  of  the  ten  had 
been  drowned  by  the  enormous  waves,  or  so 
badly  bruised  that  their  lives  were  despaired 
of.  All  of  them,  except  the  chief  in  command, 
lived  down  on  the  plains. 

"  But  Hookama — ?  "  cried  the  girl  most  pit- 
eously,  and  the  chief,  hardly  able  to  repress  a 
scowl,  answered,  "  Nothing  at  all  of  him,  dead 
or  alive,  except  his  canoe — and — and  an  idol  and 
a  broken  lance  ;  this  rascal,  one  of  the  sur- 
vivors, has  them  here,"  and  beckoning  to  the  di- 
lapidated native,  the  fellow  came  forward,  bear- 
ing two  pieces  of  a  javelin  and  the  "  totem," 
which  had  been  firmly  lashed  at  the  prow  of 


244  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

the  canoe.  The  canoe  itself  had  lost  its  out- 
rigger, but  being  made  of  tough  /£0#-wood,  it 
was  washed  ashore  like  a  log  and  was  found  at 
some  distance  inland  from  the  beach. 

Pu'  Aloha  hardly  heard  these  details,  her 
whole  thought  being  of  Hookama;  but  when 
the  man  told  all  he  knew,  hope  died  out  of  her 
heart  and  a  numbness  crept  over  her  as  again 
she  dropped  to  the  ground.  Numuku  lifted  her 
in  his  mighty  grasp  and  telling  the  man  to  wait 
till  he  came  back,  carried  the  fainting  girl  to 
her  house,  where  he  laid  her  on  the  couch  of 
mats  and  summoned  her  ivahines. 

The  old  savage,  as  he  came  out  of  the  grass 
hut,  muttering  to  himself,  "  She'll  get  over  it," 
was  somewhat  less  explosive  than  was  his 
wont,  owing  to  the  fact  that  Hookama  had  been 
disposed  of  without  giving  him  further  trouble, 
or  subjecting  him  to  the  necessity  of  vindicat- 
ing himself  for  causing  his  death.  "  The  gods 
are  on  my  side,"  said  the  chief  almost  audibly 
to  himself.  "  I'll  sacrifice  the  first  captive 
taken  alive  to  Kane,  and  since  the  shark-god 
has  got  the  rascally  Hookama,  he  must  get 
along  with  that,  without  an  offering  from 
me." 

The  grim  smile  that  overspread  his  ugly 
face  as  he  muttered  these  words  showed  that 
he  was  well  satisfied  to  be  rid  so  easily  of  the 


KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO  OAHU.      245 

man  he  hated.  In  fact,  so  well  pleased  was  he 
with  the  result,  that  he  told  the  man  who  was 
waiting  for  his  commands,  that,  as  it  was  the 
will  of  the  gods,  he  would  inflict  no  penalty 
upon  the  survivors  of  the  party  although  they 
had  not  delivered  even  the  dead  body  of  Hook- 
ama  into  his  hands.  "  Beware,  however,"  were 
his  stern  words  to  the  fellow,  "  beware  how 
you  keep  your  lips  ;  if  you,  or  the  other  men, 
ever  utter  a  word  about  this  night's  business, 
except  to  say  you  were  on  the  beach  as  a  look- 
out for  wreckage,  I'll  get  the  flesh  oft"  your 
bones,  before  a  dog  can  bark  twice."  The 
fierce  look  of  the  chief,  as  he  gave  the  native 
this  friendly  warning,  was  assurance  enough 
that  the  command  would  be  obeyed.  "  Put 
those  things  at  my  door  and  go  away,"  was 
the  chief's  final  word,  as  he  went  over  to  a 
banana  patch,  almost  levelled  to  the  ground, 
to  pick  up  a  dozen  of  the  luscious  fruit  for  his 
breakfast. 

He  had  many  other  matters  of  greater  weight 
than  the  disposal  of  Hookama  on  his  mind,  or 
even  than  the  condition  of  Pu'  Aloha,  crushed 
as  she  was  by  her  forebodings  of  her  lover's  fate. 
The  chiefs,  who  were  disaffected,  had  shown  a 
determined  opposition  to  their  young  king 
Kahahana,  and  even  when  informed  that  he 
was  on  his  way  home,  had  openly  avowed  their 
purpose  to  force  him  to  resign  the  moiship. 


246  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Loyal  as  he  was  to  his  king,  it  was  all  that 
Numuku  could  do,  by  promises  and  threats  to 
induce  the  rebellious  aliis  to  await  the  moi's 
return  before  proceeding  to  violent  measures. 
The  real  reason  why  these  insubordinate  chiefs 
did  not  act  at  once,  was  their  doubt  concern- 
ing the  mood  of  the  large  body  of  warriors 
that  the  young  moi  was  bringing  with  him 
from  Maui.  They  could  not  tell  whether  that 
army  would  side  with  the  king  or  with  them, 
in  case  of  an  appeal  to  arms. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  Numuku  received 
news  that  Kahahana  and  his  war-canoes  had 
fortunately  put  in  at  Kalaupapa,  on  the  north- 
ern coast  of  Molokai,  and  so  had  escaped  the 
tidal  wave  which  rolled  in  from  the  south.  A 
few  of  the  canoes  had  been  damaged  and 
needed  refitting,  but  the  moi  expected  to  ar- 
rive at  Waikiki  the  following  day. 

It  was  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  after 
the  storm  that  the  watchers  on  Leahi, 
(Diamond  Head)  gave  the  signal  that  the  fleet 
of  Oahu  was  in  sight,  and  immediately  crowds 
thronged  the  beach  at  Waikiki,  or  climbed  the 
heights  to  get  a  view  of  the  war-canoes  and 
their  brave  warriors.  Among  the  crowds  were 
women  anxiously  awaiting  news  of  their  hus- 
bands and  sons,  many  of  whom  had  been 
slain  in  the  battle  of  Wailuku,  and  no  one 


KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO  OAHU.      247 

knew  at  Oahu  who  would  return  alive,  or  be 
brought  back  dead  in  the  canoes  covered  with 
black  tapa. 

But  the  prevailing  feeling  was  one  of  joy, 
and  great  preparations  were  made  to  give  the 
fleet  a  triumphal  welcome.  All  tabus,  except 
those  that  could  not  be  removed,  including 
those  respecting  the  women,  were  declared  off 
for  the  day.  Great  heaps  of  drift  wood  were 
ready  to  burn.  Large  quantities  of  fish,  fruit 
and  poi  were  spread  out  on  the  plain  for  a 
feast.  The  ovens  of  hot  stones  contained 
hogs  and  dogs  to  make  the  feast  more  appe- 
tizing, and  all  the  women  were  decked  with 
brilliant  flowers.  The  musicians  with  guitars, 
nose-flutes  and  drums  of  various  sorts,  were 
stationed  at  intervals,  and  hula  girls,  decorated 
with  wreaths,  dog-tooth  buskins  and  orna- 
mented skirts,  were  dancing  in  large  compan- 
ies, in  anticipation  of  the  arrival. 

It  was  a  gallant  sight,  when  over  the  sea,  now 
tranquil  and  glassy  in  the  clear  shining  of  the 
sun,  came  the  hundreds  of  war-canoes, — the 
royal  double  canoe  leading  the  van  ;  in  it,  a 
double  row  of  two  score  stout  warriors  pad- 
dling with  all  their  strength,  and  followed  by 
the  rest  of  the  fleet,  with  sails  set  to  catch  the 
light  breeze  and  streamers  of  all  colors  floating 
from  the  masts. 


248  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Sorry-looking  savages  perhaps,  at  close 
range,  but  as  they  moved  to  the  rhythm  of 
their  war-songs,  every  paddle  keeping  time,  it 
was  an  array  of  which  any  chief  might  be 
proud  and  in  which  the  natives  on  shore  took 
great  delight.  The  young  mot,  Kahahana, 
stood  in  the  stern  of  his  red  double  canoe, 
decked  in  his  yellow  mantle  and  helmet,  with 
all  the  insignia  of  his  rank,  while  grouped 
around  him  sat  the  high  chiefs,  erect  and  lift- 
ing up  their  spears. 

But  the  king,  as  he  surveyed  the  crowd  on 
the  beach  and  saw  the  chiefs  gathered  into 
groups,  the  largest  group  apart  from  the  rest, 
could  hardly  be  said  to  be  proud  and  happy, 
for  he  knew  not  whether  his  reception  would 
be  cordial  or  hostile.  He  was  brave  in  battle 
but  weak  in  authority.  Would  his  return  bring 
civil  war,  or  a  settlement  of  difficulties?  His 
breast  was  torn  with  conflicting  emotions  ;  but 
seeing,  in  the  midst  of  one  large  body  of 
chiefs,  his  faithful  and  beloved  wife,  all  other 
feelings  gave  way  to  the  joy  of  once  more  clasp- 
ing his  Kekuapoiula  to  his  heart. 

He  looked  therefore  every  inch  a  king  as  his 
war-canoe  swept  through  the  inlet  on  a  high 
roller,  and  gracefully  breasted  the  surf  towards 
the  spot  where  at  least  some  faithful  adherents 
waited  to  give  him  welcome.  The  people, 


KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO  OAHU.      249 

carried  away  by  enthusiasm  and  excitement, 
set  up  a  mighty  shout,  while  the  musicians 
sounded  their  drums  and  all  their  other  inhar- 
monious instruments,  so  that  for  the  moment 
the  mots  breast  swelled  with  exultation,  and 
apprehension  fled  away. 

Soon  all  the  war-canoes  were  beached,  men 
and  women  swarming  into  the  breakers  to 
draw  them  ashore,  and  the  scene  was  lively 
enough  to  satisfy  the  most  ardent  lover  of 
noise  and  hubbub  ;  warriors  embraced  each 
other,  the  women  waiting  for  their  turn  to 
show  their  loyalty  to  their  one  or  more  hus- 
bands as  the  case  might  be.  If  some  of  the 
low  caste  warriors  fell  to  boxing  and  slugging 
one  another,  it  was  only  their  way  of  manifest- 
ing exceptional  delight. 

Half  a  dozen  canoes  covered  with  black  tapa 
were  surrounded  by  a  mourning  company, 
wailing  and  tearing  their  scanty  clothing. 
But  these  scenes  on  the  beach  were  only  pre- 
liminary to  more  extravagant  performances. 
Who  can  describe  the  feast,  which  to  these 
pagans  was  the  consummation  of  their  earthly 
joys  ?  The  women  danced  and  frolicked  and 
the  men  ate  and  drank  awa  till  many  were 
ready  for  the  saturnalia  which  ended  the 
feast.  Girls,  decorated  with  flowers,  strolled 
from  one  group  of  warriors  to  another,  laugh- 
ing with  the  men. 


250  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

One  party  coming  to  a  squad  of  returning 
braves,  became  loudly  convivial. 

"  Say,  Maili,"  cried  one  of  the  wahines,  "  did 
you  find  any  pretty  girls  on  Maui  ?  " 

"Find  any?  "  replied  the  good-looking  youth, 
"  Aole,  aole  !  They  found  us.  One  of  them 
came  down  to  the  royal  canoe  which  I  was 
guarding  the  day  we  left.  A  splendid  girl. 
She  wanted  some  poi  and  ordered  us  away 
with  the  air  of  a  queen.  But  she  paid  us  well." 

The  fellow  fumbled  in  his  girdle  and  brought 
out  a  beautiful  shell,  which  he  handed  to  the 
girl,  saying :  "  There,  Kamili,  how  do  you  like 
it.  She  said  our  sweethearts  at  home  would 
be  glad  to  get  them." 

"  Oh,"  replied  the  girl,  "  that's  nothing  !  a 
woman  gave  me  one  like  it  yesterday  in  Manoa 
valley,  for  showing  her  a  path,"  and  she  took 
both  shells  in  her  hand  to  compare  them. 
The  youth  sprang  to  his  feet  and  insisted  that 
his  shell  was  the  handsomest,  at  the  same 
time  putting  his  arm  around  the  neck  of  the 
uuahine  to  get  a  nearer  view  and  to  steady 
himself.  The  girl  threw  off  his  arm  with  an 
affectation  of  anger. 

"  Then  that  woman  is  somewhere  on  this 
island,"  shouted  the  tipsy  warrior.  "  I'll  find 
her.  Where  did  you  see  her  ?  " 

"  No   matter  where,"   replied     the   zvakine. 


KING  KAHAHANA'S  RETURN  TO  OAHU.      251 

"  She  is  a  chiefs  daughter,  I'll  swear,  and  you'd 
better  not  meddle  with  girls  of  an  alii,  Maili." 

"I  will,  all  the  same,"  said  Maili  as  he 
tumbled  on  the  ground  and  the  wahine  put 
both  the  shells  away  in  the  folds  of  her  girdle. 

When  the  sun  was  setting,  hundreds  of 
warriors  lay  on  the  ground  in  a  stupid  sleep, 
while  others  staggered  along,  followed  by  the 
women,  to  take  a  dip  in  the  sea.  Then  foK 
lowed  a  briny  saturnalia  neither  picturesque 
nor  passable  ;  a  little  later  lighted  heaps  of 
driftwood  shed  a  glare  on  the  revellers  on  the 
beach  and  in  the  surf.  All  that  is  odious  in 
savage  life  was  let  loose,  and  as  the  moon  be- 
grudged her  silvery  countenance  and  did  not 
illuminate  the  scene,  it  may  be  as  well  for  us 
to  throw  as  little  light  as  possible  upon  it. 

The  only  one  among  the  frantic  crowds, 
whose  interest  in  the  occasion  was  innocent 
and  creditable  to  himself,  was  Menehune,  the 
dwarf-giant.  He  had  seen  the  bonfires  and, 
led  by  curiosity  and  a  vague  hope  that  Hook- 
ama  might  somehow  appear,  came  down  to  the 
shore. 

The  fires  burned  low,  driftwood  being  scarce, 
so  that  Menehune  was  not  noticed  as  he 
squatted  in  his  usual  grotesque  posture  at  the 
water's  edge.  The  predominant  eccentricities 
of  the  occasion  were  lost  upon  him,  but  he 


252  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RJDER. 

was  fascinated  by  the  beating  of  the  drums 
and  the  songs  of  the  bathers  in  the  waves. 
He  watched  one  couple,  a  man  and  a  woman, 
who  had  drawn  apart  from  the  groups  and 
were  disporting  in  the  billows  by  themselves. 

The  fancy  took  him  to  join  the  revels  of 
this  particular  pair  as  they  were  leaping,  tum- 
bling and  laughing  in  the  breakers.  The 
dwarf  hopped  out  as  a  frog  jumps,  till  the 
shallow  waves  were  passed.  Along  the  line  of 
the  breaking  surf,  parallel  with  the  shore,  he 
reached  the  two  bathers,  before  whom  he  sud- 
denly appeared  in  preposterous  ugliness, 
stretching  out  his  arms,  gaunt  and  monstrous 
in  the  gloom,  while  he  uttered  the  most  fear- 
ful noises,  jumping  up  and  down  in  the  midst 
of  the  foam. 

The  improvisation  was  a  success.  Tum- 
bling, running,  screaming,  the  man  and  the 
woman  scrambled  for  the  shore,  falling  head- 
long, rising  to  be  caught  by  a  high  wave  and 
again  overset ;  with  Menehune  rolling  like 
a  wheel  behind  them,  his  long  arms  and  legs 
making  admirable  spokes.  Now  he  comes  up- 
on them  as  they  sprawl  in  the  water ;  he  puts 
the  woman  on  her  feet,  much  to  her  surprise  ; 
then  sets  her  a-going  again  ;  he  trips  up  the 
man  and  leaves  him  behind  ;  then  jumping  like 
a  leap  frog  he  takes  the  woman's  shoulders  for  a 


KING  RAHAttAMA'S  ttbTURN  TO  OAffV.     253 

leverage  and  vaults  over  her  head.  A  crowd, 
attracted  by  her  screams,  follows  the  capering 
dwarf.  He  leaves  the  woman  to  find  her  mate 
if  she  can  and  dives  into  the  midst  of  the 
ranks  of  his  new  followers.  Down  they  go  as 
he  tosses  them  over  his  shoulder  or  swings  one 
after  another  far  out  towards  the  surf. 

The  dazed  medley  of  men  and  women  scatter 
in  every  direction.  The  dwarf  runs  for  one, 
then  for  another.  There  are  continuous  shrieks 
from  the  women  and  shouts  from  the  men. 
Were  it  not  for  the  darkness  and  the  noise  of 
the  breakers,  the  whole  multitude  would  have 
assembled  and  the  dwarf's  fate  have  been 
problematical  to  this  day.  As  it  was,  leaping 
and  waving  hands,  jumping  backward  as  the 
monster  approached,  the  crowd  left  the  field 
to  him  and  reported  all  along  the  shore  that 
the  god  of  the  sea  had  joined  their  revels  and 
disappeared,  carrying  off  a  damsel  for  his  bride. 

This  was  the  second  enrollment  of  the 
dwarf-giant  among  the  gods  ;  and  with  a  little 
more  wit  in  his  brain,  coupled  with  his  native 
drollery,  Menehune  would  have  stood  a  good 
chance  of  an  apotheosis. 

As  for  the  damsel,  the  dwarf  made  a  dive 
for  her  through  a  roller  and  came  up  grin- 
ning, much  to  her  astonishment  and  fear. 
However,  having  no  inclination  to  trouble  her 


254  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

any  more,  he  fled  in  one  direction  and  she  in 
another,  as  fast  as  the  waves  and  the  slippery 
sand  would  allow. 

The  bonfires  on  the  beach  were  dying  out 
and  the  dwarf,  highly  pleased  with  the  general 
effect  of  his  evening's  entertainment,  crept 
along  a  ridge  of  sand  and  escaped  in  very  human 
and  humble  fashion ;  an  eclipse  of  deity,  with 
which,  strange  to  say,  the  deity  himself  was 
more  satisfied  than  if  his  fellow  pagans  had 
caught  and  worshipped  him. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  SONG-BIRD  UNDER  A  CALABASH. 

WHEN  Kahahana,  the  young  king  of  Oahu, 
retired  from  the  feast  of  welcome,  he  summoned 
Numuku  and  other  loyal  chiefs  to  the  royal 
house,  to  consider  the  situation.  It  was  a  grave 
question  whether  to  attack  the  insubordinate 
chiefs  with  the  army,  on  which  the  king  be- 
lieved he  could  rely,  or  to  temporize  and 
wait  for  a  change  in  the  sentiments  of  the  reb- 
els. 

Finally  it  was  decided  to  call  an  assembly 
of  the  disloyal  a/us  and  try  to  win  them  over. 
The  assembly  was  held  the  next  day  and  Nu- 
muku presided.  The  king  prudently  remained 
away.  Numuku's  efforts  at  reconciliation  were 
seconded  by  some  of  the  older  chiefs  among 
the  insurgents,  but  quite  a  large  number  of  the 
younger  aliis  went  home,  to  wait  for  an  op- 
portunity to  renew  their  hostility. 


256  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RTDER. 

Kahahana  received  the  result  of  the  conclave 
rather  as  a  reprieve  than  a  victory.  He  knew 
that  the  end  was  not  yet,  and  as  a  precaution 
sent  a  trusty  messenger  to  the  king  of  Maui, 
asking  for  a  reinforcement  of  warriors.  It  was 
a  foolish  thing  to  do,  as  it  revealed  his  weak- 
ness to  the  king  of  Maui,  and  gave  his  own 
subjects  a  chance  to  accuse  him  of  partiality 
towards  their  dreaded  enemy  Kahekili,  the 
treacherous  Maui  moi. 

The  old  chief  Numuku,  having  these  weighty 
matters  of  state  off  his  mind  for  a  time,  had 
leisure  to  turn  his  thoughts  again  towards  Pu' 
Aloha,  and,  though  his  affair  with  her  was  only 
an  episode,  he  was  not  a  person  to  be  balked 
even  in  matters  of  small  importance. 

Kahahana  had  informed  him  that  Hookama 
was  alive  and  that  he  had  sent  him  to  Hawaii 
on  a  secret  errand  to  the  king  of  that  island. 
The  mystery  of  the  canoe  which  had  been  cast 
ashore  was  partially  explained  by  the  king, 
who  said  it  had  been  unaccountably  detached 
from  his  own  war-canoe  on  the  voyage  home, 
and  had  probably  drifted  in  the  current  until 
caught  by  the  tempest  off  Oahu.  The  fact 
that  the  sail  was  hoisted  and  that  the  watchers 
reported  some  one  in  the  canoe  just  before  the 
storm,  left  the  matter  somewhat  in  doubt,  but 
so  far  as  Hookama  was  concerned,  it  did  not 
affect  the  case. 


THE  SONG-BIRD  UNDEK  A  CALABASH.     257 

Numuku  decided  not  to  let  Pu'  Aloha  know 
that  Hookama  was  alive,  but  to  act  towards 
her  as  if  her  lover,  were  drowned ;  and  since 
Hookama  would  be  coming  back  in  a  few 
weeks  at  the  most,  he  meant  to  press  the  girl 
to  marry  him  at  once.  Then  on  Hookama's 
arrival,  he  would  see  what  could  be  done. 

Pu'  Aloha  was  inconsolable  over  her  loss. 
Day  and  night,  clothed  in  black  tapa,  she  sat 
in  her  house,  rocking  to  and  fro,  with  wailings 
and  sobs.  Sometimes  she  sang  a  plaintive 
chant  to  give  vent  to  her  emotions. 

"Eta    ka  uhuki  hulu   manu, 
Kaupua  o  Haili, 
No,  keiki  kiai  pua, 
Ka  lahui  pua  o  lalo." 

"  He  is  the  picker  of  bird  feathers. 
(Of  birds)  lighting  on  the  flowers  of  Haili ; 
The  young  ones  watching  the  flowers. 
The  multitude  of  flowers  below." 

But  the  refrain  of  every  song  was  the  requiem 
of  love  and  grief,  which  Ua  sang  when  the 
lover  of  Kaala,  the  Flower  of  Lanai,  plunged 
into  the  whirlpool  of  the  Spouting  Cave  to 
clasp  the  misty  form  of  his  bride.  She  changed 
a  few  words  only,  and  the  pathos  of  the  song 
quieted  her  spirit  as  she  coupled  her  own 
name  with  that  of  her  lover. 


258  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

"  Oh  !  dead  is  Hookama,  the  young  chief  of  Oahu  ; 
The  chief  of  few  years  and  many  battles  ! 
His  limbs  were  strong  and  his  heart  was  gentle  ; 
His  face  was  like  the  sun  and  he  was  without  fear. 

*        *        *        * 

Hookama  is  dead  and  the  black  tapa  is  over  my  heart. 
Now  let  the  gods  take  the  life  of  Pu'  Aloha  !  " 

The  presence  of  Menehune  at  her  door  was 
a  comfort  to  the  stricken  girl,  and  he  was  to 
her  a  protector,  like  the  giant  Maukaleoleo 
who  watched  over  Umi,  the  peasant  prince  of 
Hawaii,  whose  story  she  had  often  heard  from 
Hookama's  lips.  The  dwarf  heard  the  pa- 
thetic voice  of  his  mistress  as  she  sang  her 
mournful  chants.  Now  and  then  he  mysteri- 
ously disappeared,  but  always  came  back  at 
nightfall  and  no  night  was  he  absent  from  his 
post. 

Numuku  let  the  poor  girl  take  her  own  way 
for  a  few  days,  thinking  she  would  soon  rally. 
He  gave  special  orders  to  her  wahines  to  care 
for  her  comfort  and  sent  fruits  to  her  which 
she  left  untasted.  As  a  particular  mark  of 
attention,  which  showed  considerable  tact  on 
the  part  of  the  old  chief,  he  sent  to  her  house 
the  "  totem  "  and  the  broken  javelin,  which 
had  belonged  to  Hookama. 

Several  days  having  passed  and  no  change 
in  her  being  apparent,  the  chief  went  to  see 
her  and  was  struck  by  her  altered  looks  ;  her 


THE  SONG-BIRD  UNDER  A  CALABASH.       259 

eyes  lacked  their  wonted  brilliancy  and  her 
countenance  was  pale.  As  she  sat  in  a  droop- 
ing attitude  she  was  the  picture  of  despair. 

The  sight  of  the  girl  in  this  condition 
angered  Numuku.  He  felt  that  it  was  her 
own  fault  that  her  beauty  and  vivacity  were 
gone.  Why  should  she  mope  for  the  bird- 
catcher  ?  It  was  opposition  to  his  authority  ; 
a  kind  of  antagonism  to  his  wishes.  Hating 
Hookama  as  the  author  of  this  state  of  things, 
he  visited  on  the  child  the  wrath  which  he 
could  not  inflict  on  her  lover. 

She  had  no  idea  why  he  frowned  upon  her 
as  he  stood  looming  up  in  her  presence.  Was 
it  not  right  to  mourn  for  a  dead  friend  ?  Did 
not  the  chiefs  disfigure  themselves  (she  had 
heard  of  such  things)  at  the  death  of  relatives  ? 

When  then  Numuku  blurted  out  his  indig- 
nation in  the  bitter  words,  "  Isn't  it  time  to 
stop  this  dreaming  and  moaning,  Pu'  Aloha? 
You  can't  gather  berries  from  the  clouds! 
What  the  gods  will,  must  be  submitted  to !  " 
Pu'  Aloha  was  struck  dumb  ;  she  could  not 
answer;  it  was  all  so  unexpected.  Was  this  the 
Numuku  that  promised  to  be  a  father  to  her? 

But  she  soon  looked  up  with  pleading  eyes 
and  the  chief,  touched  perhaps  by  her  silent 
misery,  conscious  also  that  he  was  deceiving 
her  in  regard  to  Hookama's  death,  softened 


kELEA  :  1TH&  SURF-klbER. 


his  tone  a  little  and  touching  her  shoulder, 
said,  "  You  need  not  be  unhappy  here  with 
me.  Is  it  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  when  a  single 
star  goes  out  ?  " 

"  Alas  !  "  replied  the  girl  in  a  low  voice, 
"  can  the  bird  sing  when  covered  by  a  cala- 
bash ?  "  Numuku  remembered  that  these 
were  the  very  words  which  Hina  of  Hawaii 
spoke  to  Kaupeepee  of  Haupu,  when  he  stole 
her  away  to  make  her  his  bride,  and  kept  her 
a  prisoner,  till  she  forgot  her  bondage  and 
accepted  his  love  which  gently  wooed  her 
thoughts  from  the  past.  Pu'  AJoha  herself 
had  sung  to  him  this  mele, 

The  remembrance  of  that  love  story  of  long 
ago  awakened  the  chief  to  a  new  strategy,  and 
he  began  to  say  tender  things  to  Pu'  Aloha  ; 
that  is,  as  tender  as  his  uncouth  utterance 
could  frame.  He  asked  her  what  he  could  do 
for  her.  Could  he  bring  Hookama  to  life? 
Could  he  dry  up  the  sea  and  find  his  body 
for  her  to  fondle?  Could  he  get  her  another 
Hookama  that  she  would  like  as  well  as  she 
liked  this  bird-catcher  ?  "  No  !  "  he  concluded, 
"  these  things  belong  to  the  gods.  I  am  not 
a  god,  but  I  can  marry  you  myself,  as  I  prom- 
ised, and  keep  you  from  harm.  Besides,  you 
may  select  another  husband  if  you  will,  and 
we  will  dwell  together  in  peace." 


THE  SONG-BIRD  UNDER  A  CALABASH.       261 

These  words  had  the  opposite  effect  from 
that  which  the  deceitful  old  chief  intended  to 
produce.  Pu'  Aloha  burst  into  a  passionate  fit 
of  crying  and  clasping  her  knees  rocked  her- 
self in  uncontrollable  distress.  To  many 
Numuku,  with  Hookama  dead,  was  utter 
misery  ;  she  was  fast  losing  control  of  herself; 
but  what  she  might  have  said  was  prevented 
by  Numuku  himself  as  he  abruptly  left  the 
house,  muttering  that  the  girl  was  a  fool  and 
might  go  to  Milu  for  all  that  he  cared ! 

Menehune,  hidden  in  a  clump  of  bushes, 
heard  the  word  "  fool,"  (he  had  a  knack  of 
getting  ideas  from  separate  words,)  and  he 
knew  there  was  trouble.  Creeping  back  to 
Pu'  Aloha's  door,  he  looked  in  for  the  first 
time  since  the  girl  had  secluded  herself,  and 
seeing  her  prostrate,  lifted  her  tenderly  on  the 
mats  and,  calling  her  wahines,  went  out 
beyond  the  enclosure,  with  a  vague  sense 
of  the  need  of  doing  something  for  his 
mistress. 

No  sooner  had  he  passed  the  opening 
towards  the  ravine,  than  he  saw  the  figure  of  a 
man,  hurriedly  moving  up  the  highway.  The 
man  turned  as  if  to  see  if  he  was  followed,  and 
Menehune  knew  that  it  was  Paao.  The 
dwarf  had  taken  an  intense  dislike  to  this 
man.  Why,  he  could  not  tell.  It  was  an  in- 


262  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

stinct,  such  as  makes  a  dog  cherish  antipathy 
to  a  person  for  no  obvious  cause. 

Believing  that  some  mischief  was  brewing 
he  kept  himself  out  of  sight,  while  he  kept 
Paao  in  view.  After  a  long  time  he  saw 
Paao  strike  off  the  main  path,  into  a  foot-way 
leading  in  the  direction  of  the  house  on  the 
cliff  where  he  had  left  Kelea.  It  was  a  path 
seldom  travelled,  and  with  increased  misgiving 
Menehune  followed  on  till  within  a  few  rods 
of  a  lonely  spot  where  another  path  from 
Manoa  valley  crossed  that  on  which  Paao  was 
going. 

Much  to  the  dwarf's  amazement,  he  saw  a 
second  traveller,  who  had  come  up  by  the 
path  from  Manoa,  and  who  was  entering  into 
a  violent  altercation  with  Paao.  It  seems  that 
both  men  were  about  to  ascend  the  same 
path,  when  Paao,  in  a  rude  way,  asked  the 
stranger,  a  strong  and  active  young  man, 
where  he  was  going.  The  stranger  replied,  in 
equally  rough  language,  that  it  was  none  of 
his  business.  Whereupon  Paao  struck  at  the 
man  with  a  heavy  stick  which  he  carried. 

Quick  as  a  flash,  the  stranger  wrenched  the 
stick  away,  and  whirling  it  in  the  air,  bade 
Paao  stand  off  or  take  the  consequences. 
Drawing  a  dagger,  Paao  made  a  lunge  at  the 
stranger,  who,  too  quick  for  him,  sprang  aside 


THE  SONG-BIRD  UNDER  A  CALABASH.       263 

and  brought  the  stick  with  great  force  down 
on  Paao's  arm. 

The  arm  dropped  and  the  dagger  fell  to 
the  ground.  At  this  instant,  Mehehune 
rushed  straight  at  the  combatants  and  thrust 
his  mighty  limbs  between  them.  It  was  an 
easy  thing  for  him  to  hurl  the  stranger,  stick 
and  all,  into  a  low  bush  at  the  wayside. 
Having  done  this  the  dwarf  turned  to  Paao 
and  took  hold  of  his  arm,  which  was  badly 
bruised  but  not  broken. 

The  other  fellow,  who  had  made  aquain- 
tance  with  the  scrub  plant  in  the  uncqremo- 
nious  fashion  described,  picked  himself  up  and 
laughed  heartily  as  the  big  dwarf  bent  over 
the  crestfallen  Paao.  It  was  the  warrior  Maili 
of  the  king's  war-canoe,  who  had  given  the 
shell  to  the  girl  on  the  beach.  He  had  coaxed 
the  girl  to  tell  him  where  she  met  the  mys- 
terious woman,  and  out  of  curiosity,  having  a 
little  leisure  on  his  hands,  he  had  come  in 
search  of  her.  He  knew  Menehune  and  re- 
garded the  whole  affair  as  a  joke. 

Paao,  on  the  contrary,  aside  from  the  seri- 
ous injury  he  had  received,  was  angry  because 
Menehune  had  followed  him,  and,  overlooking 
the  fact  that  the  dwarf  had  prevented  his 
antagonist  from  following  up  his  advantage, 
began  to  berate  his  deliverer  in  words  which 


264  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

would  have  been  highly  profane  if  uttered  in 
any  civilized  language.  Seeing  that  the  quar- 
rel was  over  and  that  Paao  resented  any 
further  assistance  from  him,  Menehune  coolly 
walked  a  dozen  paces  up  the  path  and  squatted 
in  the  middle  of  it,  as  much  as  to  say  "  No 
trespassing  allowed." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence ;  Paao  glared 
at  the  two  co-operators  in  the  offence  to  his  dig- 
nity and  person  ;  then  with  a  look  of  scornful 
anger,  turned  and  walked  rapidly  down  the 
path  by  which  he  had  come,  nursing  his  bat- 
tered arm.  Maili  kept  the  stick  and  made  a 
movement  to  pass  the  dwarf  and  ascend  still 
further  beyond  him,  along  the  path.  Men- 
ehune allowed  him  to  come  abreast  on  one 
side  and  then  by  an  adroit  shifting  of  his  leg, 
laid  the  fellow  sprawling  on  the  ground,  at  the 
same  time  snatching  the  stick  from  his  hand. 

This  was  too  much  for  the  warrior's  good- 
nature and,  resenting  this  second  interference, 
he  jumped  at  the  dwarf,  who  coolly  enclosed 
him  in  his  big  arms,  placed  him  in  his  lap  and 
began  to  fondle  him  as  a  wahine  caresses  a 
puppy.  It  was  of  no  use  to  resist,  and,  as 
there  were  no  spectators,  Maili  made  the  best 
of  the  situation  and  began  to  imitate  the  bark 
of  a  young  dog.  This  tickled  the  fancy  of  the 
dwarf  so  much  that  he  set  the  man  on  his  feet 


THE  SONG-BIRD  UNDER  A  CALABASH.       265 

and  with  a  grim  smile,  pointed  down  the  way 
that  led  to  the  Manoa  valley  and  grunted  out 
the  word  " Makai"  (to  the  sea);  the  man, 
taking  the  hint,  vanished  instantly  without 
even  a  parting  oath. 

Menehune  then  stood  up  and  waited  till  the 
sound  of  retrea'ing  footsteps  ceased.  His  eye 
fell  upon  something  white,  in  the  grass  at  the 
side  of  the  path  where  Paao  received  the  stroke 
from  the  stick.  It  was  the  shark's  tooth  dag- 
ger, and  as  the  dwarf  picked  it  up,  he  gave  one 
of  his  customary  chuckles  and  put  it  safely 
away  in  the  folds  of  his  malo. 

The  path  from  this  crossing  of  the  ways 
was  an  intricate  one.  Almost  impenetrable  by 
others,  it  was  familiar  to  Menehune,  who  be- 
fore long  emerged  on  the  plateau  in  front  of 
the  house  on  the  cliff.  There  he  found  Kelea, 
beating  out  moist  fibre  for  a  tapa  cloth.  He 
was  evidently  a  regular  and  welcome  visitor 
and  his  advent  was  not  a  surprise.  Taking  his 
mother  aside  he  told  her  that  the  girl  must 
keep  near  the  house,  because  her  presence  on 
the  island  was  probably  known  to  at  least  two 
men,  who  he  supposed  had  come  in  search  of 
her  that  very  day. 

Then  handing  to  the  astonished  Kelea  the 
dagger,  the  dwarf,  as  if  in  great  haste,  dis- 
appeared around  the  angle  of  the  ledge. 


266  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

The  dagger  was  like  a  mysterious  gift  from  the 
gods.  How  it  came  into  Menehune's  posses- 
sion, or  why  he  gave  it  to  her  she  could  not  tell, 
but  she  placed  it  in  her  girdle,  and  felt  as  if 
somehow  it  was  a  recovered  link  between  her 
fortunes  and  those  of  Hookama. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

A  CRISIS. 

TOWARDS  nightfall,  Menehune  was  squatting 
as  usual  at  the  door  of  Pu'  Aloha's  house,  as 
unmoved  in  appearance  and  as  grotesque  in 
attitude  as  if  his  only  occupation  was  to  orna- 
ment the  premises  of  his  royal  mistress. 

Within  a  day  or  two,  Paao  had  an  interview 
with  the  chief.  He  represented  to  Numuku 
the  need  of  keeping  an  eye  on  the  dwarf,  who, 
after  that  time,  was  strictly  forbidden  to  leave 
the  enclosure  without  permission.  He  also 
arranged  with  the  chief  that  he  should  pay 
court  to  Pu'  Aloha  and  win  her  for  them  both 
if  he  could.  The  chief  gave  him  permission  to 
make  advances  to  her  with  that  purpose  in 
view. 

Numuku  rallied  Paao  on  his  arm,  which  was 
bound  up,  and  the  young  man  said  that  it  was 


KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


the  result  of  a  fall,  when  he  was  climbing  a 
cliff.  It  was  not  a  serious  injury,  but  for  a  time 
it  crippled  the  arm  and  rendered  it  useless  for 
handling  a  spear  or  a  club. 

From  this  time,  Paao's  attentions  to  the 
sorrowful  maiden  amounted  to  little  less  than 
persecution.  He  intruded  upon  her  whenever 
Menehune  was  absent  from  his  post.  He  tried 
all  his  powers  of  persuasion  and  made  the  girl 
as  wretched  by  his  amorous  advances  as  by 
the  threats  which  he  finally  employed  to  bend 
her  to  his  will.  Finding  her  obdurate,  he  per- 
suaded Numuku  to  see  her,  if  possible  to  in- 
duce her  to  comply  with  their  united  demands. 

The  old  savage  arrayed  himself  in  the  most 
approved  Hawaiian  fashion  for  the  interview. 
His  feather  cloak  represented  the  labors  of  one 
hundred  men  for  a  year.  Its  airy  magnificence 
was  dazzling  to  behold.  The  malo  about  his 
loins  was  gaudy  and  fringed  with  red.  On  his 
breast  was  the  palaoa,  the  mark  of  his  rank, 
suspended  from  his  neck  by  twisted  strands 
of  human  hair.  In  his  hand  was  a  necklace  of 
curiously  wrought  mother-of-pearl.  When  he 
entered  her  house  he  planted  the  tabu  spear  be- 
fore the  door.  In  such  splendor  was  he  ar- 
rayed that  he  felt  assured  of  success.  How 
could  any  Hawaiian  woman  hold  out,  in  pres- 
ence of  these  irresistible  attractions,  to  say 


A  CRISIS.  269 


nothing  of  the  odor  of  the  cocoa-nut  oil  with 
which  he  was  anointed  ! 

Pu'  Aloha  was  seated  on  the  ground,  covered 
with  black  tapa,  her  eyes  lustreless  and  her 
face  pallid  ;  there  was  little  beauty,  either  in 
her  countenance  or  form,  to  charm  the  savage 
heart.  The  drooping  eyelids  and  the  sombre 
clothing  gave  the  chief  a  start ;  he  was  in 
doubt  whether  he  cared  to  press  his  suit.  He 
had  overstimated  the  value  of  the  prize. 

But  of  one  thing  he  felt  assured  ;  a  girl  with 
no  more  to  offer  certainly  must  yield  to  one 
like  himself  who  could  give  her  everything  a 
woman's  heart  desires.  Besides,  he  had  begun 
the  affair  and  he  meant  to  win,  whether  he 
cared  much  for  the  girl  or  not. 

He  seated  himself  on  the  pile  of  mats  and 
looked  about  him  in  evident  embarrassment. 
Pu'  Aloha  had  risen,  as  was  the  custom,  when 
her  lord  entered  and  she  now  stood  near  him 
with  her  hands  crossed  over  her  bosom.  She 
said  nothing  except  to  give  the  usual  saluta- 
tion, "  Aloha  !  "  (Love  to  you),  which  meant 
more  or  less  according  to  circumstances. 

Numuku  held  out  the  necklace,  and  she  took 
it,  thanking  him  and  laying  it  down  on  the 
couch.  "  I  have  come,"  at  last  said  the  chief, 
"  to  claim  my  rights  as  your  Alii.  I  made  a 
promise  to  you  which  I  intend  to  keep."  Pu' 


270  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Aloha's  cheek  flushed  but  she  returned  no  re- 
sponsive look  or  word  ;  neither  could  the  chief 
give  utterance  to  any  of  the  soft  speeches  he 
had  prepared  for  the  occasion.  He  was  com- 
pletely stranded  so  far  as  any  inspiration  for 
love-making  was  concerned.  It  was  a  very 
awkward  situation  for  him. 

After  some  moments  of  oppressive  silence, 
he  began  a  sentence,  "The — the  choicest 
flower — the  flower  of  my  choice — Pu'  Aloha  is 
the — all  the  flowers  in — in  the  garland — "  and 
there  he  stopped,  actually  run  aground  and 
unable  to  go  on. 

Again  he  started,  as  he  had  sometimes  tried 
to  get  his  canoe  off  a  rock,  where  it  went  round 
and  round  the  more  he  paddled.  "  Why  those 
[a  grunt] — those  tears,  Pu' Aloha?  The  sun- 
showers — shower-tears  [another  grunt]  of  the 
— tears  of  the  winds — are — are — Ka — Ka"  (he 
was  getting  angry)  ;  "  By  Kane  !  will  you  have 
me,  child,  or  not  ? "  He  was  getting  down  to 
the  familiar  vernacular  once  more  ;  "  It  may  be 
only  a  hoao  (trial  to  test  the  feelings)  at  first. 
Come,  come,  answer  me,  or  I'll  see  who  is 
master,"  and  the  ugly  face  of  the  chief  assumed 
its  most  diabolical  expression.  Numuku  was 
himself  once  more. 

It  only  needed  this  return  of  the  royal 
wooer  to  a  threatening  attitude  for  Pu'  Aloha 


A  CRISIS.  271 


to  gain  all  her  courage  and  firmness.  The 
"  totem  "  of  Hookama  stood  upright  against 
the  thatch  and  caught  the  girl's  eye  as  she 
regained  her  strength  and  composure.  Drop- 
ping on  her  knees  before  the  image,  in  a 
strong,  unwavering  voice  she  uttered  the 
following  prayer : — 

"  Here  is  your  body  of  a  bird,  O  Lono  ! 
May  I  be  saved  by  you,  O  Lono,  my  god  ! 
Saved  by  the  supporting  prayer  ! 
Saved  by  the  holy  water ! 
Saved  by  the  sacrifice  to  you,  O  god  . 
Here  is  the  sacrifice,  an  offering  of  prayer." 

Numuku  fidgetted  about  on  the  mats  as  the 
prayer  begun ;  he  was  too  superstitious  to 
interrupt  an  appeal  to  the  greatest  of  the 
gods.  When  the  supplication  was  ended  and 
the  suppliant  arose  to  her  feet  and  stood, 
with  a  look  of  serene  composure  on  her 
face,  as  if  defying  him  to  harm  a  votary  of  the 
all-powerful  deity,  the  chief  also  arose  to  his 
feet  and  said  hastily :  "  I'll  see  the  priest  about 
this ;  you  will  marry  me  to-morrow,  and  Lono 
will  accept  the  sacrifice."  Then,  with  heavy 
tread  he  left  the  hut. 

That  night  no  moon  looked  down  on  the  en- 
closure of  the  chief,  and  the  clouds  were  piling 
up  above  the  hills.  It  was  near  midnight  when 


272  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Menehune  felt  a  slight  touch  on  his  shoulder, 
as  he  slept  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  Pu' 
Aloha.  Clad  wholly  in  black,  with  a  bundle 
covered  with  black  tapa  in  her  hand,  the  girl 
drew  the  dwarf  inside  the  door,  placed  the 
"  totem "  in  his  hands,  uttered  the  words 
" Hele"  (go);  " Mauka"  (the  mountain),  and 
showed  him  where  her  hands  had  cut  away  the 
fastenings  at  the  back  of  the  hut. 

The  faithful  dwarf  needed  no  further  explana- 
tion. He  crawled  through  the  aperture,  and 
led  the  way,  on  all  fours,  the  girl  creeping  after 
him,  to  a  gap  in  the  hedge.  She  crouched 
under  the  broad  leaves,  heedless  of  the  sharp 
points  which  punctured  her  soft  shoulders, 
while  Menehune  reconnoitered.  On  his  re- 
turn, she  took  his  big  hand  and  was  led 
down  into  the  ravine,  where  the  plashing  brook 
smothered  the  sound  of  their  footsteps.  Pick- 
ing their  way  along  the  shallow  stream  and  by 
the  smooth  jutting  rocks,  the  two  fugitives 
came  out  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  hillside  ;  a  dog, 
in  a  hut  near  the  bank  of  the  stream,  barked 
loudly ;  they  thought  they  heard  a  noise  of 
hurrying  feet  behind  them  and  held  their  breath 
to  listen.  The  mists  came  down  from  the  hill- 
tops and  enveloped  them.  Pu'  Aloha  heard 
what  seemed  to  her  a  burst  of  laughter ;  it  was 
the  hoot  of  an  owl.  They  passed  through  a 


A  CRISIS.  273 


collection  of  huts  ;  the  darkness  of  a  cloudy 
night  settled  on  the  valley  ;  all  along  the  way 
the  girl's  fancy  conjured  up  spectres  of  mon- 
strous shapes  from  the  trees  and  skirts  of  the 
wood,  along  which  they  toiled.  Never  before 
had  she  groped  among  the  ghostly  forms  of 
night.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  strong  grasp 
of  Menehune's  hand,  her  courage  and  strength 
must  soon  have  failed. 

When  a  path  was  reached,  the  dwarf  lifted 
the  girl  in  his  arms,  carried  her  easily,  and 
moving  steadily  through  the  mists,  climbed 
with  his  burden  the  way  he  knew  so  well,  till 
the  house  on  the  cliff  was  reached.  It  was  his 
shrine.  To  defend  it  was  his  passion.  To 
make  it  the  refuge  and  sanctuary  of  those  he 
cared  for,  was  his  one  object  in  life.  The 
dwarf  had  a  big  heart,  if  there  was  but  little 
room  for  it  in  his  body,  and  his  soul  was  as 
true  as  his  face  was  homely. 

A  quiet  signal  and  the  ever-watchful  mother 
came  to  the  door.  Menehune  said  to  her, 
"  Here,  another  foster  child,"  and  disappeared 
in  the  darkness. 

At  bright  daydawn  Pu*  Aloha's  wahines, 
coming  to  awaken  and  bathe  their  mistress, 
found  the  dwarf-giant  alert  and  watching  as 
usual  at  her  door. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF. 

KELEA  was  aroused,  the  morning  after  Pu' 
Aloha's  arrival  at  the  house  on  the  cliff,  by 
the  touch  of  the  gentle  old  woman  whom  she 
had  learned  to  love  and  to  call  "  mother." 
She  was  told  that  during  the  night  Menehune 
had  brought  a  strange  girl  to  the  house. 
"  She  is  a  delicate  flower,"  said  the  "  mother," 
"  and  Menehune  tells  me  that  she  is  much 
pilikia  loa  (distressed).  Will  you  come  and 
look  at  her  ?  " 

Then  the  sympathetic  old  soul  led  the  way, 
with  Kelea  following,  to  the  mats  hidden  by  a 
tapa  screen,  where  Pu'  Aloha  was  lying  asleep. 
Her  fair,  round  arm  supported  her  head,  and 
her  flowing  locks  rippled  over  her  glossy 
brown  shoulders,  while  the  long  lashes,  veiling 
her  eyes,  gave  an  inexpressible  charm,  height- 
ened by  the  tears  which  hung  beneath  them, 


THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF.  275 

like  dew-drops  on  the  petals  of  a  yellow  hala- 
pepe  flower.  The  tinge  of  lemon  color  in  the 
brown  of  her  complexion  gave  the  skin  the  tint 
of  a  foreigner,  and  added  a  peculiar  brilliancy 
to  its  transparent  beauty. 

Now  and  then,  the  sleeper  gave  a  nervous 
start  and  her  tapering  fingers  twitched  with 
convulsive  movement.  The  black  tapa  mantle 
she  had  worn  was  flung,  half  on  the  couch  and 
half  on  the  ground,  an  emblem  of  the  woes 
through  which  she  had  passed. 

Kelea  was  deeply  stirred  as  she  gazed  on 
the  sweet  maiden.  The  surf-rider  of  Maui, 
with  all  her  audacity  and  caprice,  was  a  crea- 
ture of  affectionate  as  well  as  passionate  im- 
pulses. The  stranger  appealed  to  her  best 
instincts  and  she  longed  to  befriend  her,  to 
hold  her  to  her  breast  and  comfort  her. 

It  was  a  striking  tableau  :  the  delicate  girl 
asleep,  fair  as  a  flower,  inviting  soothing  and 
caressing  care;  the  dark  maiden,  bending 
over  her,  strong,  intense,  with  her  raven  locks 
floating  loosely  over  her  shoulders  and  swell- 
ing bosom.  Her  eager  face  and  well-balanced 
pose  showed  that  her  susceptibilities  were 
under  control,  while  the  unconscious  move- 
ment of  her  lips  and  the  moisture  in  her  eyes 
revealed  a  deep  sympathy  for  the  distress 
which  she  could  not  at  once  alleviate. 


276  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

In  the  background,  the  wrinkled,  sightless 
"  mother  "  stood  motionless,  evidently  feeling 
the  pathos  of  the  scene.  It  was  she  who 
broke  the  silence  by  a  whispered  word  to 
Kelea,  and  the  two  women  left  the  side  of  the 
sleeper,  as  one  would  leave  a  flower  with 
folded  petals,  not  wishing  to  disturb  it  till 
the  sunshine  caused  it  to  unfold. 

Pu'  Aloha  slept  nearly  all  that  day.  Occa- 
sionally, she  partially  aroused  herself  to  receive 
a  cooling  draught,  brought  to  her  by  the  blind 
"  mother."  The  tapa  curtain  kept  the  sunlight 
from  her  eyes  and  the  two  women  walked 
softly  that  their  footfalls  might  not  awaken 
her.  It  was  a  day  of  mingled  emotions  for 
Kelea.  She  had  no  idea  who  the  newcomer 
was,  but  a  strange  fascination  led  her  to  go 
quietly  from  time  to  time  and  look  at  the 
beautiful  girl. 

As  Pu'  Aloha  grew  stronger  and  received 
the  kind  ministrations  of  Kelea,  the  two  girls 
drew  together  in  close  friendship.  This  was 
the  first  friend  Kelea  ever  had,  with  whom  she 
was  frank  and  affectionate.  She  became  de- 
voted to  the  lovely  maiden  and  was  as  tender 
toward  her  as  a  lover.  It  was  a  new  revela- 
tion to  her  of  a  responsive,  artless,  clinging 
disposition,  exactly  the  opposite  of  her  own. 

Adroit  questions  on  her  part  drew  from  Pu' 


THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF.  277 

Aloha  the  simple  story  of  her  life  and  even  her 
relations  with  Hookama.  Under  other  circum- 
stances, the  highstrung  girl  would  have  broken 
out  into  vehement  words.  But,  as  in  the  case 
of  Hookama's  refusal  of  her  pleading  love  in 
the  lao  Valley,  her  pride  enabled  her  to  re- 
press all  evidences  of  excitement  and  her  love 
for  Pu'  Aloha  kept  her  within  bounds. 

Only  when  alone,  in  a  secluded  spot  further 
up  the  hill,  to  which  she  went  in  order  to  give 
vent  to  the  tumult  of  her  soul,  did  she  find 
relief  in  tears  and  exclamations.  Had  her 
rival  been  a  less  lovable  being,  or  had  she  failed 
to  win  Kelea's  love,  the  jealousy  of  the  savage 
would  have  overmastered  all  other  feeling. 
Even  the  death  of  her  rival  at  her  hands  might 
have  been  sought,  if  thereby  she  could  remove 
the  obstacle  to  her  desires. 

But  Kelea's  infatuation  for  Hookama  did 
not  obliterate  her  fondness  for  the  girl,  who 
nestled  to  her  for  protection  and  who  guile- 
lessly confided  to  her  the  feelings  of  her  heart. 
Pu'  Aloha  believed  that  Hookama  was 
drowned  by  the  tidal  wave.  Sometimes  that 
thought  was  overwhelming,  and  the  poor 
child  wept  for  hours,  giving  way  to  uncontrol- 
lable sorrow.  Then  Kelea  would  hold  her  in 
her  arms,  without  saying  a  word. 

In  her  own  mind  Kelea  revolved  the  whole 


2jS  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER, 

matter,  trying  to  think  of  some  way  by  which 
both  she  and  her  dear  friend  might  be  satisfied. 
She  thought  of  the  possibility,  allowed  by 
custom,  of  a  double  marital  connection  !  But 
this  would  be  of  little  comfort  to  her,  if  Hook- 
ama  gave  all  his  love  to  her  rival.  Could  she 
bear  to  see  him  in  the  arms  of  another  and 
lavishing  on  her  the  fervid  affection  which 
she  demanded  for  herself  ? 

There  was  one  hope  :  that  Hookama  might 
not  reciprocate  Pu'  Aloha's  strong  passion. 
"  But  how  can  he  help  loving  such  a  sweet 
flower,"  she  said  to  herself  over  and  over  again. 
He  had  said,  in  the  vale  of  lao,  that  there  was 
no  other  ;  had  he  deceived  her,  to  prevent  a 
frantic  scene  on  her  part  ?  Her  mind  was  per- 
plexed. She  was  sometimes  plunged  in  des- 
pair. Must  she  lose  everything  for  which  she 
had  imperilled  her  life  and  doomed  herself  to 
exile  ? 

Hookama  had  told  her  frankly  that  the  gods 
willed  otherwise  ;  that  he  did  not  love  her ; 
but  at  that  time,  she  felt  that  she  could,  in 
some  way,  win  his  heart.  Now,  the  appear- 
ance of  another,  charming  enough  to  win  the 
love  of  the  noblest  chief,  changed  the  aspect 
of  the  case,  leaving  Kelea  almost  crushed  in 
spirit. 

Kelea  believed  that  Hookama  was  still  alive. 


THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF.  279 

She  knew,  what  Pu'  Aloha  did  not  know,  that 
he  had  not  been  drowned,  for  she  herself  had 
been  in  his  canoe.  Where  he  was,  she  could 
not  tell.  Had  he  returned  with  the  king  ?  If 
so,  why  did  he  not  come  in  search  of  Pu'  Aloha  ? 
This  was  a  thread  on  which  to  hang  her  hopes. 
Perhaps  he  did  not  care  after  all  for  the  lovely 
child. 

Then  the  question  came,  should  she  impart 
to  Pu'  Aloha  her  own  belief  that  Hookama 
was  living  and  would  come  back  sooner  or 
later?  Was  it  not  the  part  of  friendship  to 
offer  this  small  degree  of  consolation.  The 
picture  of  the  dear  girl's  distress  was  vividly 
before  her,  as  she  decided  to  comfort  her,  if 
she  could,  in  every  possible  way. 

She  found  Pu'  Aloha  in  tears ;  the  girl  had 
been  in  one  of  her  paroxysms  of  grief.  As 
Kelea  approached,  the  maiden  flung  her  arms 
about  her  and  said  :  "  At  least,  loving  one ! 
the  wilted  flower  has  the  strong  tree  to  cling 
to  ;  what  would  Pu'  Aloha  do,  with  Hookama 
gone,  if  she  could  not  rest  on  her  kuu  poli 
aloha  [a  Hawaiian  term  which  means  more 
than  a  mere  relative]  even  though  no  one 
can  take  a  lover's  place  ?  " 

"  My  own  darling,"  replied  Kelea,  with  emo- 
tion, as  she  folded  the  weeping  girl  to  her 
bosom,  "  perhaps  your  Hookama  will  come 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


again  to  you."  (She  used  these  words  with 
the  greatest  effort.)  "  How  do  you  know  that 
he  has  joined  the  brave  warriors  in  the  hidden 
land  of  Kane  ?  Does  the  bee,  that  has  once 
sipped  honey  from  the  choicest  flower,  stray 
away  among  common  weeds  and  not  come 
back  ?  Your  wild  bee  will  surely  long  for  his 
Pu'  Aloha  and  thirst  for  the  nectar  on  his 
blossom's  lips." 

"  But  the  canoe  was  Hookama's,  and  Nu- 
muku  said  the  idol  was  lashed  in  the  prow  of 
it,"  quickly  exclaimed  the  excited  girl.  "  If 
his  canoe  was  washed  up  by  the  storm,  he 
must  have  been  drowned, — Menehune  said  so, 
— and  his  body  lost,"  and  the  child  sobbed  on 
the  breast  of  her  friend,  whose  heart  might 
have  told  its  own  secret  by  its  rapid  throbbing, 
if  Pu'  Aloha  had  suspected  any  reason  for  its 
unusual  palpitation. 

Kelea  endeavored  by  her  caresses  to  calm 
the  maiden  whom  she  held  in  her  arms,  and 
when  Pu'  Aloha  became  somewhat  tranquil 
she  told  her  the  story  of  her  flight  from  Maui, 
and,  with  some  omissions  and  occasional  diver- 
gencies from  the  truth,  explained  to  her  the 
reason  why  she  thought  Hookama  might  still 
be  alive  and  come  back  to  her  safe  and  sound. 

Telling  her  first  about  her  own  home  at 
Waihee  on  Maui,  she  narrated  the  story  of 


THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF.  281 

the  battle  of  Wailuku  and  the  attempt  of  the 
terrible  moi  Kahekili  to  carry  her  to  his  hale- 
alii.  This  attempt,  she  declared,  led  her  to 
resolve  to  flee  from  the  island  over  which  he 
held  absolute  and  tyrannical  authority.  For- 
tunately, she  discovered  that  the  king  of  Oahu 
intended  to  sail  homeward  and  that  an  empty 
canoe  would  be  towed  behind  his  war-canoe. 
Then  she  gave  a  vivid  description  of  her 
efforts  to  cut  the  cord  and  her  final  success. 

She  related  other  details  of  her  voyage,  its 
perils  and  adventures,  at  which  Pu'  Aloha 
shuddered  while  she  admired  the  pluck  of  her 
new-found  friend.  Kelea  concluded  the  ex- 
citing tale  with  an  account  of  her  experience 
with  Menehune  in  the  cave  and  her  unique 
ride  on  his  broad  shoulders  to  the  House  on 
the  Cliff.  The  latter  portion  of  the  story 
amused  Pu'  Aloha  so  much  that  she  laughed 
aloud,  the  first  time  since  her  arrival  at  the 
"  mother's  "  house. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Kelea  said  nothing 
about  her  meetings  with  Hookama  and  Paao, 
but  made  the  story  so  plausible  that  her  un- 
suspecting listener  did  not  even  surmise  that 
Kelea's  use  of  the  canoe  had  anything  to  do 
with  Hookama.  She  asked  one  question. 
"  How  did  it  happen  that  the  king  was  bring- 
ing the  canoe  back  with  him  to  Oahu? 


282  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Hookama  meant  to  go  in  it  to  Hawaii,  why 
should  he  send  it  back  from  Maui  ?  " 

Kelea's  ready  answer  was  that  probably  the 
war  between  the  kings  of  Maui  and  Hawaii 
made  the  continuance  of  Hookama's  voyage 
to  Hawaii  too  hazardous.  In  that  case  he 
may  have  returned  to  Oahu  with  the  king. 
"  If  so,  you  will  see  him  before  long,"  she 
added  with  a  brave  attempt  to  smile. 

Pu'  Aloha  was  somewhat  brightened  up  by 
the  comforting  words  of  her  friend  and  began 
to  grow  stronger  and  more  cheerful.  As  her 
vigor  returned  her  beauty  increased,  and  the 
bloom  of  her  cheeks  vied  with  her  joyful  eyes 
in  giving  her  a  magical  charm  which  Kelea 
could  not  resist.  She  was  more  and  more  en- 
chanted with  the  loveliness  and  gentleness  of 
the  flower  which  she  tended  with  increasing 
fondness.  It  was  the  older  girl's  delight  to 
make  wreaths  of  the  choicest  blossoms  that 
grew  about  the  house  on  the  cliff,  and  adorn 
with  them  the  comely  neck  of  her  companion. 

Pu'  Aloha's  beauty  was  so  different  from 
that  of  other  native  maidens,  that  it  seemed 
to  Kelea  to  belong  to  another  and  superior 
race.  If  tradition  can  be  believed,  then  the 
one  white  woman,  who  centuries  ago  was  cast 
upon  these  islands  had  transmitted  a  refine- 
ment, which  now  and  then  appeared  in  indi- 


THE  HOUSE  ON  THE  CLIFF.  283 

viduals,  like  the  stars  called  "  sporades  "  not  in- 
cluded in  any  of  the  constellations.  At  any 
rate,  Kelea  could  not  cast  off  the  spell  which  Pu' 
Aloha  threw  around  her  more  and  more.  This 
woman,  savage  born,  fitful  in  her  impulses,  be- 
came almost  a  worshipper  of  the  gentle  being, 
whose  claim  to  adoration  lay  in  her  artless- 
ness  and  her  delicate  beauty  of  person  and 
character. 

But  there  were  times  when  the  surf-rider, 
accustomed  to  the  wild  waves  and  the  moun- 
tains, became  restless  and  felt  that  she  must 
grapple  with  something  in  order  to  tame  the 
unruly  spirit  within  her.  She  would  plunge 
into  the  thickest  jungle,  seek  the  highest  crag 
when  the  thunder  was  the  loudest  and  fill  the 
ravines  with  her  voice.  Now  and  then  the 
sound  of  the  sea,  reaching  her  ear  far  up  the 
mountain,  would  set  all  her  pulses  beating  for 
a  mad  race  with  the  billows. 

One  day,  seeing  in  the  distance  hundreds  of 
bathers  on  the  beach,  enjoying  a  public  festi- 
val or  contest  in  surf-riding,  all  her  prudence 
was  swept  away,  and  telling  Pu'  Aloha  that 
she  was  going  off  to  find  Hookama  for  her, 
away  she  fled  down  the  mountain.  With  the 
single  thought  of  her  merry  comrades,  the 
dashing  rollers  from  the  sea,  and  a  longing  for 
scope  and  liberty  to  let  herself  loose,  she  be- 


284  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

came  once  more  a  wild  barbarian,  impetuous 
and  heedless. 

The  crowds,  excited  by  the  exploits  of 
swimmers  on  surf-boards  and  in  canoes,  were 
shouting  and  running  up  and  down  the  beach, 
so  that  Kelea  reached  the  white  crested  waves 
wholly  unnoticed.  Seeing  a  surf-board  which 
had  slipped  from  some  bather's  hand,  she 
seized  it  and  pushed  it  before  her  towards  one 
of  the  higher  breakers  which  the  rest  of  the 
swimmers  avoided. 

Lustily  breasting  the  heavy  waves,  handling 
her  board  with  consummate  skill  and  watching 
for  the  loftiest  comber,  she  rode  the  surf  so 
audaciously  and  skilfully,  that,  drawing  the 
attention  of  all,  she  was  watched  and  cheered 
as  the  champion  of  the  hour.  When  she 
came  near  the  shore,  by  an  adroit  movement, 
instead  of  landing  she  dove  into  a  wave  which 
came  after  others  of  less  size,  and,  swimming 
under  water,  emerged  among  a  group  of 
natives,  who,  tumbling  together  in  the  rush 
of  the  surf  took  no  heed  of  her  arrival  among 
them. 

Again  the  spirit  of  reckless,  daring  came 
upon  her,  and  borrowing  a  board  from  one  of 
the  women,  she  joined  a  party  of  expert  swim- 
mers, who  were  contesting  for  a  prize.  With 
her  usual  boldness,  she  sought  the  most  dan- 
gerous surf,  and,  in  the  face  of  disadvantages, 


-THE  HOUSE  Otf  THE  CLJF&  285 

distanced  all  her  rivals,  gracefully  guiding  her 
course  so  as  to  approach  the  shore  in  the  deep- 
est water  possible. 

This  time  she  also  mysteriously  disappeared , 
and  the  crowd,  searching  for  the  fair  con- 
testant without  success,  declared  that  she 
must  be  some  sea-goddess,  a  suggestion 
quickly  caught  up  and  repeated  by  the  de- 
feated swimmers,  glad  of  any  pretext  to  cover 
their  failure.  Somehow  in  the  confusion 
Kelea  managed  to  escape  from  her  perilous 
position  and  to  gain  a  covert  in  the  fields  and 
finally  a  safe  return  to  the  house  on  the  cliff. 
She  did  not  wholly  avoid,  as  she  supposed, 
the  recognition  she  feared ;  one  of  the  swim- 
mers, Maili,  knew  her  and  made  an  unsuccess- 
ful attempt  to  follow  her. 

All  she  told  Pu'  Aloha  was  that  she  had 
taken  a  bath  and  that  she  had  discovered 
no  traces  of  Hookama. 

She,  as  well  as  her  companion,  was  becom- 
ing more  and  more  impatient  for  tidings  of  the 
young  alii,  and  intended,  at  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity, to  find  out  if  she  could  what  had  be- 
come of  him.  She  dared  not  risk  a  meet- 
ing with  Paao,  whose  relations  towards  Pu' 
Aloha  had  been  disclosed  to  her  by  her  friend. 
She  was  therefore  cautious  in  her  wanderings, 
as  well  as  careful  to  avoid  the  path  leading 
down  to  Nuuanu  valley. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
THE  CONSPIRATORS'  CAVE. 

ON  the  morning  after  Numuku's  rough 
wooing  of  Pu'  Aloha  and  her  hasty  flight  to 
the  house  on  the  cliff,  the  wahines  came  and 
found  Menehune  as  usual  on  the  threshold  of 
his  mistress'  house.  Not  many  moments  after- 
wards, Numuku  met  these  girls  rushing  to- 
wards his  habitation,  the  dwarf  following  them, 
with  the  news  that  Pu'  Aloha  could  not  be 
found. 

The  chief  became  as  excited  as  the  rest,  but 
all  that  he  could  discover  was  that  the  girl 
had  gone  away  in  the  night.  Menehune  took 
refuge  from  the  chief's  inquiries  in  his  accus- 
tomed brevity  of  speech  and  in  a  look  of 
more  than  unusual  imbecility.  Once  or  twice 
the  dwarf  uttered  an  ejaculation:  " Auwe, 
auwe  !  Alas,  alas  !  Little  song-bird  gone  !  " 

Numuku  immediately  sent  out  a    scouting 


THE  CONSPIRATORS'  CAVE.  287 

party  of  natives.  Menehune  went  with  them 
and  managed  to  lead  them  astray.  After 
hours  of  searching  they  returned  with  no 
tidings  of  the  girl.  The  dwarf  appeared  to  be 
more  distressed  than  any  one  at  the  failure  of 
their  efforts  and  persuaded  Numuku  by  vari- 
ous signs  and  gesticulations  to  let  him  go  by 
himself  to  find  his  mistress. 

Then  he  slipped  off  and  went  rapidly  by  a 
round  about  way  to  the  house  on  the  cliff, 
and,  having  satisfied  himself  that  Pu'  Aloha 
was  there  and  that  no  one  had  been  there  to 
search  for  her,  he  returned  the  second  time 
and  assumed  the  disconsolate  air  of  a  dog 
baffled  by  a  false  scent. 

Paao  was  absent  the  night  of  Pu'  Aloha's 
flight.  He  did  not  come  into  the  enclosure 
till  noon  ;  when  he  heard  the  news  he  was  in  a 
quandary.  He  felt  the  need  of  great  caution. 
He  had  been  at  a  secret  meeting  of  conspir- 
ators on  the  mountain  and  he  was  suspicious 
of  Menehune's  movements.  He  could  neither 
give  the  chief  a  good  reason  for  his  absence, 
nor  acquaint  him  with  his  distrust  of  the 
dwarf. 

He  met  Numuku  with  an  expression  on  his 
face  of  the  deepest  concern  and  offered  to 
make  immediate  search  himself.  The  chief 
counselled  waiting,  as  he  had  sent  out  a  second 


KELEA  .-  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


scouting  band.  Towards  evening,  no  tidings 
being  received,  Paao  became  frightened,  lest 
his  own  movements  be  discovered,  and  in- 
sisted that  the  perplexed  chief  should  allow 
him  to  make  a  more  thorough  search.  Numuku 
finally  yielded  and  Paao  left  for  the  mountain 
to  notify  his  accomplices  of  danger. 

The  time  for  Hookama's  return  from  Hawaii 
was  calculated  by  Numuku  as  not  far  distant. 
It  made  Numuku  anxious,  and  he  redoubled 
his  efforts  to  discover  the  missing  girl.  His 
scouts  penetrated  the  thickets  and  found  the 
house  on  the  cliff.  They  reported  that  there 
a  poor,  blind  old  woman  lived  alone  and  com- 
plained that  her  son,  the  dwarf,  never  came 
near  her  and  sent  her  nothing  to  live  on  day 
by  day. 

Menehune  had  been  there  every  night  and 
had  cautioned  his  mother  not  to  let  the  girls 
be  seen  till  the  search  was  over.  She  was  in- 
structed to  hide  them  in  a  cave  with  which 
the  grass  hut  communicated.  The  dwarf  had 
built  the  house  for  concealment.  The  end 
nearest  the  cliff  was  hung  with  tapa,  over 
which  were  placed  calabashes  and  cooking 
utensils.  Near  the  ground,  under  the  tapa,  was 
a  narrow  entrance  to  a  hollow  in  the  rock,  filled 
with  rubbish.  Creeping  through  this  hollow, 
one  came  to  a  good  sized  cavern,  where  it  was 


CONSPIRATORS'  CAV&.  289 

possible  to  build  a  fire,  the  smoke  escaping  by 
a  number  of  the  fissures  in  the  rock. 

The  two  girls,  watching  in  the  daytime  for 
stragglers,  retired  into  this  cave  when  any  one 
appeared,  till  they  received  a  signal  that  the 
coast  was  clear.  At  night  they  made  them- 
selves comfortable  on  mats  in  the  cavern. 
Thus,  much  of  the  day  could  be  spent  in  the 
open  air.  They  called  it  a  pilikia  (bother- 
ation), but  made  light  of  the  discomfort. 

After  Menehune's  warning  they  stayed 
nearly  all  the  time  in  the  cave,  trying  to 
amuse  themselves  in  the  best  way  they  could. 
On  the  second  day  of  this  enforced  confine- 
ment, Kelea,  growing  restless,  and  with  her 
usual  boldness  and  love  of  adventure,  climbed 
into  the  clefts  of  the  cavern  and  explored  its 
recesses.  She  came  upon  streams  of  water, 
and  slippery  places  where  it  was  difficult  to 
get  a  foothold,  and  where  her  candle-nut 
taper  gave  a  fitful  light.  Persisting  in  her  ex- 
plorations she  found,  at  last,  an  opening  into 
the  air  under  the  blue  sky.  Standing  outside, 
among  tangled  vines  and  piles  of  stones,  she 
enjoyed  the  prospect  which  took  in  the  whole 
of  the  Koolau  district  and  the  distant  sea. 

But  attempting  to  return,  she  discovered  that 
she  had  no  more  candle-nuts  and  no  means 
of  lighting  one,  even  if  she  had  it.  Nothing 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


daunted,  she  determined  to  return  on  the  out- 
side and  began  the  descent  with  much  courage. 
The  sharp  lava  points  cut  her  feet  and  she  was 
often  stopped  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice  over 
which  a  cascade  fell  sheer  down  for  hundreds 
of  feet.  She  twisted  her  tapa  mantle  more 
closely  about  her  and  painfully  toiled  down- 
wards, till  she  was  conscious  of  having  lost  her 
bearings,  being  shut  in  by  high  masses  of  rock. 

The  tired  girl  was  almost  ready  to  lie  down 
in  despair,  when  she  thought  she  heard  a 
sound  like  that  of  human  voices.  All  around 
her,  nature  was  primeval,  as  if  never  invaded 
by  man,  but  she  was  more  and  more  convinced 
that  she  heard  persons  talking  not  far  away. 

The  sound  came  from  a  fissure  in  the  rock 
against  which  she  was  leaning.  Placing  her 
ear  over  the  crevice,  she  heard  distinctly  the 
words  of  several  men  in  conversation.  To 
listen  she  crept  lower  down  and  took  a  posi- 
tion where  she  could  hear  better,  although 
entirely  hidden  from  view  among  the  rank 
grasses  and  stunted  shrubs. 

To  her  amazement  and  horror,  one  voice, 
louder  than  all  the  rest,  was  that  of  Paao,  her 
hated  assailant  in  the  vale  of  lao.  Still  more 
amazed  she  heard  the  company  discussing 
a  diabolical  plot  against  the  king  of  Oahu 
and  his  government.  She  could  not  see  the 


THE  CONSPIRATORS'  CAVE.  291 

men,  but  from  their  language  and  tones  she 
knew  they  must  be  chiefs,  because  the  differ- 
ence between  the  aliis  and  the  common  natives 
was  very  marked,  not  only  in  intelligence  but 
in  voice  and  utterance. 

A  deep  conspiracy  against  Kahahana's 
authority  was  discussed  in  its  details.  The 
number  of  warriors  who  could  be  relied  upon 
was  given,  and  some  of  their  names  were  men- 
tioned in  the  course  of  the  conversation.  The 
time  for  an  attack  on  the  royal  house  at  Waikiki 
was  left  undecided  but  all  agreed  that  it  should 
be  made  very  soon.  Paao  gave  much  informa- 
tion as  to  the  King's  forces  and  said  that  one 
or  two  of  the  priests  of  the  royal  heiau  were 
in  favor  of  the  rebels.  He  also  declared  that 
Kahekili,  king  of  Maui,  had  promised  him 
aid. 

Kelea's  heart  beat  wildly,  and  she  was 
fearful  lest  some  involuntary  movement  on 
her  part  should  betray  her  presence.  Several 
times  she  was  obliged  to  take  her  ear  from 
the  crevice  and  quiet  herself.  When  the 
council  of  conspirators  broke  up,  she  heard 
them  strike  their  daggers  together  and  take  a 
solemn  oath  not  to  betray  each  other.  Then 
the  chiefs,  whose  voices  told  Kelea  that  most 
of  them  were  young  men,  scattered  in  every 
direction,  over  rocks  and  into  ravines,  adding 


XELEA  .-  THE  SJJRF-RWE&. 


to  the  listening  girl's  terror  lest  they  discover 
her. 

Paao  lingered  a  moment  after  the  others  had 
gone.  Kelea  heard  him  mutter  :  "  So  this 
revolt  will  give  me  revenge  on  more  than  one 
enemy.  Ka,  h&,  h&  !  I  can  choose  my  own  fruit 
when  I  am  made  a  priest."  She  shuddered 
at  his  words,  as  she  thought  of  Pu'  Aloha  and 
her  own  fate,  if  the  conspiracy  succeeded 
with  Paao  for  its  leader. 

When  she  heard  this  arch  traitor  leave  the 
cavern,  she  felt  impelled  to  get  a  glimpse  of 
him  as  he  went  down  the  mountain.  Clam- 
bering from  her  hiding  place  above  the  cave 
she  hurried  after  his  retreating  footsteps, 
keeping  at  a  safe  distance.  She  longed  to 
hurl  a  stone  at  him  and  fingered  the  dagger, 
which  she  always  carried  in  her  girdle. 

Once,  as  a  twig  crackled  under  her  foot,  she 
thought  she  saw  Paao  turn  his  head  ;  instantly 
she  dropped  on  the  ground  and  to  her  great 
relief  the  man  went  on  with  quicker  strides. 
Suddenly  he  stopped  and  seemed  to  listen. 
Then  he  searched  the  bushes  on  one  side  of 
the  path. 

These  movements  alarmed  Kelea  so  much 
that,  forgetful  of  everything  but  escape, 
she  crept  into  the  low  shrubbery,  slipped 
under  the  branches,  climbed  over  rocks  and, 


THE  CONSPIRATORS'  CAVE.  293 

coming  upon  an  abrupt  declivity,  slid  down 
its  side,  regardless  of  the  deep  hollow  into 
which  she  was  plunging.  Finding  a  place 
under  a  sheltering  rock,  where,  lying  prostrate, 
she  could  not  be  seen  from  above,  she  lay 
motionless  for  a  long  time. 

At  last,  as  all  was  silent,  she  began  to 
scramble  on,  if  possible  to  get  back  to  the 
path  which  she  had  left  in  her  fright.  She 
feared  nothing  but  an  encounter  with  Paao, 
who  might  be  in  pursuit  of  her.  She  was  a 
good  climber  and  caught  glimpses  of  the  sun. 
Shaping  her  course  towards  the  west,  after 
more  than  an  hour's  painful  effort,  it  was 
evident  that  she  had  lost  her  reckoning. 
The  ravines  became  deeper  and  their  sides 
steeper. 

She  determined  to  get  on  a  high  place  where 
she  could  look  off.  She  drank  from  a  little 
pool  and  ate  some  akala  berries,  and  began 
with  fresh  ardor  to  climb  the  rough  side  of  a 
cliff. 

Without  looking  down  at  the  perilous  way 
she  had  come,  at  last  she  arrived  at  a  high 
point  where  a  narrow  ledge  on  the  face  of  the 
crag  offered  a  resting  place.  Panting,  she 
sat  down  and  for  the  first  time  saw  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  ascend  beyond  the 
slight  projection  to  which  she  was  clinging. 


294  KELEA:    THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Then,  glancing  downwards,  she  was  amazed  at 
the  perils  she  had  surmounted  on  her  way  up. 
The  sheer  wall  above  and  the  precipice  below 
bewildered  and  appalled  her. 

Faint  and  giddy,  she  laid  herself  down  as 
carefully  as  she  could  on  the  narrow  ledge 
and  clutched  some  large  roots.  She  had  been 
in  this  position  some  time,  revolving  the  situa- 
tion in  her  mind,  when,  suddenly,  she  thought 
she  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  moving  figure  far 
above  her,  appearing  between  the  rocks  and 
scrub  trees  on  the  top  of  the  cliff.  She  was 
afraid  it  was  Paao  and  dared  not  cry  out  for  help. 

She  must  keep  her  self-possession  or  she 
would  roll  off  the  ledge.  She  tried  to  think 
of  other  things,  but  when  some  loose  stones 
and  soil,  dislodged  from  above,  fell  into  the 
ravine,  she  knew  that  she  was  discovered  and 
that  somebody  was  trying  to  reach  her. 
Getting  on  her  feet  she  loosened  the  dagger 
that  it  might  be  ready  at  her  hand. 

There  was  a  rustling  of  leaves  and  a  crack- 
ling sound  as  if  a  branch  had  been  broken.  A 
point  above  the  ledge  shut  off  her  view  in  the 
direction  of  the  noise.  Nearer  and  nearer 
came  the  sounds.  If  it  were  a  rescuer,  why  did 
he  keep  so  quiet?  If  it  were  Menehune,  he 
would  give  at  least  a  grunt  to  tell  her  he  was 
coming.  Only  Paao,  she  thought,  would  come 


THE  CONSPIRATORS'  CAVE.  29$ 

stealthily,  and  she  clutched  the  handle  of  the 
dagger  with  a  nervous  grasp. 

She  had  not  long  to  wait  in  suspense. 
After  a  more  portentous  sound  of  some  one 
descending  on  the  other  side  of  the  jutting 
rock,  out  from  the  cliff  swung  a  man  clinging 
to  a  rope.  Only  a  part  of  his  back  could  be 
seen  at  intervals,  as  he  tried  to  give  his  body 
the  motion  of  a  pendulum  along  the  face  of 
the  precipice.  Evidently  he  was  endeavoring 
to  get  a  foothold  on  the  ledge. 

A  few  seconds  more  and  a  successful  thrust 
with  his  foot  enabled  him  to  catch  the  ledge. 
Then,  feeling  his  way  backwards,  still  holding 
the  rope,  he  gained  the  footing  that  he  sought, 
straightened  himself  up  and,  turning  around, 
came  face  to  face  with  Kelea. 

There  was  hardly  room  for  two  persons  on 
the  ledge,  but  the  man  stood  firmly,  having 
the  rope  in  his  right  hand,  leaving  the  other 
hand  free.  Kelea  trembled  and  turned  pale 
as  the  stranger  seized  her  with  his  left  arm 
and  held  her  fast. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A  SON  OF  A  GOD. 

WHEN  Hookamaleft  the  region  of  the  Lake 
of  Fire  on  the  side  of  Mauna  Loa,  he  and  his 
guide  started  for  the  heights  of  Mauna  Kea, 
the  twin-mountain  by  the  side  of  Loa,  where 
were  gathered,  at  this  season,  the  birds  with 
the  finest  feathers  known  on  the  islands.  It 
was  a  toilsome  journey.  Dead  koa  trees 
abounded,  and  after  leaving  the  timber  line, 
ledges  were  climbed,  crevasses  leaped,  gullies 
traversed  and  clinkers  of  lava  trodden  under 
foot. 

It  was  noon  when  they  reached  a  mass  of 
rocks  where  earthquakes  had  split  the  moun- 
tain, leaving  immense  caverns.  Under  the 
shadow  of  almost  inaccessible  crags,  they  pre- 
pared for  their  ingenious  and  arduous  work  of 
bird-catching.  The  constant  rains  kept  the 
high  lands  below  the  summit  of  Mauna  Kea, 


A  SOW  OF  A  GOD.  297 

green  with  foliage.  Ohia  and  lehua  trees, 
ferns  and  tough  grasses  with  long,  spear-like 
blades,  covered  the  sides  of  the  ravines  and 
grew  high  up  on  the  cliffs,  wherever  enough 
soil  for  their  roots  could  be  found.  Only  the 
most  expert  climber  could  scale  some  of  the 
precipices,  where  the  birds  fluttered  and  gave 
forth  their  peculiar  notes. 

The  lehua  trees,  which  the  oo  and  the  mamo 
loved,  were  beginning  to  blossom,  and  the 
birds  from  the  topmost  branches  were  calling 
to  their  mates.  The  ohia-ai  (mountain  apple) 
was  also  in  flower.  From  the  lowlands  the 
feathery  songsters  had  come  to  enjoy  the 
blooming  season,  and  the  mamo  bird,  having 
the  most  precious  of  pure  yellow  feathers,  one 
beneath  each  of  its  wings,  plumed  itself  and 
twittered  in  joyful  ecstasy.  The  spot  chosen 
by  Lou,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
locality,  was  a  picturesque  dell,  overhung 
with  crags  and  moist  with  numerous  streams 
and  cascades. 

The  hunters  built  themselves  a  rude  hut 
under  a  shelving  rock,  thatching  the  roof  with 
long,  tough  leaves.  In  order  to  screen  them- 
selves from  the  rain  and  to  conceal  themselves 
as  much  as  possible  from  the  keen  eyes  of  the 
little  birds,  they  encased  their  bodies  and 
limbs  in  a  flexible  net-work,  into  the  meshes 


293  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

of  which  were  looped  strips  of  the  //-leaf, 
which  hung,  point  downwards,  on  the  outside, 

The  birds  were  wary,  and  only  by  the  most 
adroit  management  could  they  be  caught. 
The  special  bird  the  hunters  sought  was  the 
mamo,  shy  and  difficult  to  capture.  It  was  the 
custom  for  bird-catchers  to  offer  a  prayer  to 
the  gods  before  beginning  the  sport ;  then 
they  made  an  offering  of  ohelo  berries.  At 
night  they  set  up  poles,  long  and  slender. 
To  these  poles  they  affixed  cross-pieces 
smeared  with  the  sticky  gum  of  the  papala 
tree.  They  tied  to  the  poles  blossoms  of  the 
lehua,  in  imitation  of  the  trees. 

Each  morning,  hiding  in  a  covert,  with  a 
fine  line  having  a  noose  at  the  end,  the  snare 
being  arranged  on  the  pole,  the  bird-catcher 
imitated  the  peculiar  whistle  of  the  mamo  and 
waited  for  the  proud  little  bird  to  appear. 
Perched  on  a  neighboring  tree,  prinking,  prun- 
ing and  displaying  itself,  it  drove  away  other 
birds  attempting  to  alight. 

Now  the  hunter  must  use  all  his  wits  to  cap- 
ture it.  After  cocking  its  head  warily  from 
side  to  side,  it  advances  to  take  the  blossom, 
and  the  catcher,  by  a  sudden  jerk  of  the  line 
as  the  bird  sticks  in  the  gum,  secures  his 
prize. 

It  astonished  Lou,  who  was  one  of  the  most 


A  SON  OF  A  GOD.  299 

skilful  bird-catchers  on  Hawaii,  to  see  how 
adroitly  Hookama  snared  his  game  and  imitated 
the  whistle  of  the  saucy  mamc.  He  looked  on 
with  wonder  and  admiration  as  the  young  alii 
scaled  the  face  of  a /#/z  (precipice)  in  following 
up  the  flight  of  the  elusive  songsters.  The  re- 
sult was  that  the  two  men  captured  more  birds 
and  secured  more  feathers  in  three  days  than 
many  hunters  obtained  in  six.  It  was  the 
element  of  danger,  however,  that  made  the 
sport  popular  with  the  chiefs. 

But  as  bird-catching  was  only  a  pretext  for 
the  visit  to  Hawaii,  Hookama  reluctantly 
abandoned  the  hunt  and,  to  Lou's  disgust,  in- 
sisted on  returning  at  once  to  Hilo.  The  guide 
led  the  youth  along  a  narrow  trail,  through  an 
immense  belt  of  forest,  till  the  two  men 
emerged  on  the  bright,  grassy  uplands  not  far 
from  the  picturesque  village  of  Onomea,  which 
straggled  along  the  shore  by  which  they  must 
reach  Hilo  to  the  south. 

Onomea,  a  populous  village,  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  blue  ocean,  was  like  an  en- 
chanted place  to  the  young  alii  after  the  toil- 
some tramp  over  the  lava  and  the  matted 
grasslands  of  the  higher  regions.  The  air  was 
soft  and  delicious.  Ravines,  waterfalls,  palms, 
oheas  and  hibiscus  decked  the  paths  leading 
down  to  patches  of  velvet  green  near  the  sea. 


300  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

The  surges,  tossing  spray  over  rocks  and  reefs, 
made  the  music  that  Hookama  loved  to  hear, 
and  his  spirit  was  soothed  by  luxuriant  Nature 
in  her  most  enchanting  forms. 

The  entire  journey  along  the  coast  was  a 
succession  of  delights.  Even  the  deep  and 
sometimes  dangerous  gulches  which  must  be 
crossed,  were  nothing  to  the  palis  of  Mauna 
Kea  which  had  been  climbed.  The  cascades, 
overhung  by  rainbows,  gleamed  in  shining 
beauty  as  the  eye  followed  up  the  many  ravines  ; 
exquisite  flowers  and  tropical  plants  filled  the 
air  with  fragrance,  and  the  young  man,  fresh  as  a 
lark  and  blithe  as  a  bird,  revelled  in  the  joy  of  his 
young  manhood,  with  the  blue  sky  above  him 
and  the  spangled  earth  beneath  his  feet.  Life 
was  a  joy,  and  along  the  trail  the  villagers 
whom  he  met  stopped  and  listened  to  the  love 
songs  which  he  chanted,  as  he  bounded  on  his 
way. 

Lou's  bowlegs  found  it  difficult  to  carry  him 
at  the  same  rapid  pace.  He  liked  the  rough 
mountain  better  than  the  flowery  coast.  The 
only  bird-song  he  cared  for  was  the  twitter  of 
the  oo  and  the  mamo,  when,  trapped  by  his 
smeary  gum,  they  fluttered  their  wings  in  vain 
attempts  to  escape  the  snare.  He  knew  many 
of  the  people  along  the  route  and  liked  to  stop 
and  chat  with  the  women,  lying  in  the  sun  or 
bathing  in  the  surf. 


His  ISLANDS  LIFT  THEIR  FRONDED  PALMS  IN  AIR' 


A  SOW  OF  A  GOD.  301 

Hookama  humored  his  whims  and  often 
waited  for  the  little  man,  choosing  some  lofty 
point  where  he  could  look  off  at  the  distant 
sea-horizon  and  give  play  to  his  fancy.  He 
was  sitting  one  afternoon  in  a  grove  of  cocoa- 
nut  palms,  with  the  sea  at  his  feet  and  myriads 
of  flowers,  vines  and  fruit  plants  about  him, 
when  his  eye  caught  sight  of  a  hideous  stone 
idol,  half  buried  in  a  mass  of  bright  yellow 
blossoms  and  amid  a  profusion  of  broad  green 
leaves. 

The  misshapen  image  somehow  suggested 
by  contrast  the  magnificent  sights  he  had 
witnessed  at  the  volcano  of  Kilauea.  As  he  re- 
called those  appearances,  it  seemed  as  if  Pele 
were  after  all  the  Goddess  of  Fire.  At  any  rate 
such  a  goddess  was  worthy  of  worship,  if  she 
existed.  He  had  felt  her  heated  breath.  Vol- 
canic clouds  had  covered  him  with  her  resplen- 
dent hair.  Her  voice  was  the  thunder  of  ex- 
ploding rocks.  Her  caresses  were  flames  and 
consuming  fires.  Terrible  she  might  be,  but 
she  was  grand. 

"  How  near  I  came  to  being  burnt  to  a  cin- 
der when  I  was  fascinated  by  her  breath  and 
Lou  pulled  me  back  from  that  awful  chasm  !  " 
thought  he.  "  If  that  grinning  idol  yonder  had 
been  in  my  place  when  the  ledge  broke  off,  it 
would  have  sunk  like  a  stone  in  the  fire.  '  Son 


302  KELEA  •  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

of  a  god  ! '  I  wonder  what  it  means  ?  They 
call  me  so  ;  but  what  does  it  amount  to,  after 
all?" 

What  conclusion  Hookama  might  have 
reached  it  is  impossible  to  tell,  for  just  at  this 
uncertain  and  incomplete  stage  of  his  medita- 
tions, the  head  of  Lou  appeared  down  the  trail, 
and,  as  he  came  nearer,  Hookama  saw  that  he 
carried  in  his  arms  a  little  sucking  pig,  a  bunch 
of  bananas  and  a  wreath  of  flowers.  Two  fowls 
with  their  legs  tied  together  were  strung  over 
the  little  man's  shoulders,  and  from  various 
parts  of  his  person  strips  of  tapa  dangled  and 
floated  in  the  gentle  breeze. 

"  I  was  getting  hungry,"  Lou  said.  "  Our 
stock  of  kalo  gave  out  yesterday,  so  I  told 
the  people  at  the  last  village  that  you  were  the 
*  son  of  a  god  ;  '  that  the  old  prophetess  of 
Pele  said  so ;  and  that  you  wanted  a  hookupu 
(gift- festival),  such  as  they  offer  to  high  chiefs 
and  mots.  There  they  come,"  he  called  out, 
and  soon  Hookama  was  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  a  motley  crowd  which  piled  up  fruit  and 
cocoa-nuts  at  his  feet  and  covered  him  with 
wreaths  and  flowers. 

Then  they  all  prostrated  themselves  in  a 
circle  around  him  and  Lou  joined  in,  flounder- 
ing on  the  ground,  with  his  head  between  the 
two  chickens  which  cackled  and  fluttered  in 
true  fowl  fashion. 


A  SON  OF  A  GOD.  303 

"Well,"  thought  the  young  alii,  "son  of  a 
god  or  not,  they  worship  a  decent  looking  fel- 
low just  as  readily  as  they  do  that  hideous 
image,"  and,  raising  his  right  hand  aloft  with 
his  staff,  he  shouted,  "  Worship  !  worship  !  " 
Then  pushing  aside  an  old  crone  with  a  ragged 
skirt  who  tried  to  clasp  his  knees,  he  caught  a 
couple  of  the  prettiest  girls  by  the  arms  and 
cried,  "  Hula  ;  hula  \  (Dance  ;  dance !)  "  All 
the  crowd  joined  in  with  glee,  Hookamainthe 
midst  of  them,  capering  and  jumping,  wreaths 
on  his  head  and  over  his  shoulders  and  arms. 

It  was  the  kind  of  a  god  the  people  liked,  al- 
though they  had  never  seen  one  of  the  sort 
before.  They  were  especially  delighted  when 
Hookama,  much  to  Lou's  disgust,  gave  back 
and  distributed  the  gifts,  retaining  only  those 
attached  to  the  guide's  body.  The  people 
were  poor  and  Hookama  knew  it.  "  Too 
many  chiefs,"  as  Lou  said,  "  eat  up  the 
people." 

For  the  "  son  of  a  god  "  then,  to  lift  off  the 
tabu,  even  for  a  half  hour,  was  a  very  precious 
boon,  and  since  no  priests  were  in  sight  and 
no  spy  in  the  crowd,  even  the  women  dared  to 
eat  bananas  and  cocoa-nuts,  while  the  men  and 
boys  gulped  them  down  as  if  they  had  eaten 
nothing  for  a  week. 

In  due    time,   the   two   "  bird-catchers "  ar- 


304  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

rived  at  Hilo  Bay.  Keawe  welcomed  Hook- 
ama,  who  said  little  or  nothing  to  the 
bigoted  chief  concerning  his  adventures,  an 
account  of  which  the  priestess  of  Pele  had 
spread  broadcast.  Lou  kept  his  own  counsel 
also  and  was  delighted  when  Hookama  pre- 
sented him  with  an  entire  bird-catcher's  outfit. 

The  young  alii  spent  his  last  night  at 
Cocoa-nut  Island  under  the  waving  palms. 
His  warriors  had  been  royally  entertained 
during  his  absence.  They  had  engaged  in 
friendly  games  and  contests  with  the  chiefs  of 
Hawaii  and  had  won  their  share  of  the  prizes. 
Other  hospitalities,  which  civilization  cannot 
encourage,  need  not  be  mentioned.  They  had 
witnessed,  in  awe-struck  amazement,  the  spec- 
tacle of  a  burning  river  of  lava,  flowing  down 
the  side  of  Mauna  Loa  till  it  reached  the  sea  ; 
they  had  been  present  at  the  heiau,  where 
human  sacrifices  were  offered  to  Pele,  to  ward 
off  the  anger  of  the  offended  deity,  and  they 
would  be  glad  to  remain  longer  on  the  island, 
which  to  them  was  a  paradise  of  plenty  and 
pleasure. 

But  when,  the  morning  after  Hookama's  ar- 
rival, the  alii  Keawe,  surrounded  by  his  war- 
riors in  helmets  and  cloaks,  and  with  a  swarm- 
ing multitude  of  natives  on  the  beach  and  in 
the  surf,  shouted  the  last  Alohas  in  honor  of 


A  SON  OF  A  GOD.  305 

the  "  son  of  a  god  "  that  had  put  out  Pele's  fires, 
it  was  a  sight  to  stir  the  young  man's  blood 
and  that  of  his  followers  too. 

In  the  stern  of  his  war-canoe  and  with  his 
eight  stout  warriors  at  the  paddles,  the  youth, 
covered  with  leis,  heard  the  shouts  of  his 
admirers  crowding  a  multitude  of  canoes  as  an 
escort,  and  repeated  over  and  over  his  farewell 
words.  But  as  he  looked  back  from  the  open 
sea  and  saw  a  faint  smoke  from  the  distant 
mountain  he  rejoiced  in  every  stroke  of  his 
men  that  carried  him  farther  and  farther  from 
the  realms  of  the  fiery  goddess. 

Lou  made  the  most  sensible  remark  of  this 
parting  occasion,  as  he  watched  the  war-canoe, 
headed  for  Oahu,  far  out  on  the  blue  sea. 

"Idols!  gods!  What  are  they  good  for, 
when  a  '  son  of  a  god  '  like  that  is  more  to  my 
liking  than  a  hundred  Peles,  and  his  legs  are 
as  straight  as  a  palm  ?  " 

"  Pah,  pah  \  "  said  a  dirty  Kanaka  standing 
near,  who  overheard  the  soliloquy.  "  Take 
care,  or  Pele's  mankiller  will  give  you  a  cover- 
ing of  ashes  and  a  chunk  of  lava  to  mark  the 
hole." 

The  only  answer  the  bowlegged  bird-catcher 
deigned  to  give  was :  "  To  Milu  with  Pele  ! 
It's  where  she  belongs." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A  DISCONSOLATE  LOVER. 

IT  happened  to  be  the  same  morning  on 
which  Kelea  lighted  on  the  council  of  conspir- 
ators in  the  cave  on  the  mountain,  that 
Hookama  in  his  war-canoe  entered  the  inlet  at 
Waikiki  and  landed  once  more  on  the  shores 
of  Oahu.  He  was  received  by  the  king  and  a 
retinue  of  warriors,  who  crowded  about  him 
and  eagerly  asked  news  from  Hawaii. 

Numuku,  the  chief  of  Nuuanu  valley,  was  in 
the  company,  and  though  he  touched  noses 
with  Hookama  and  treated  him  with  a  degree 
of  courtesy,  he  showed  no  great  delight  over 
his  return.  He  was  too  blunt  wholly  to  dis- 
guise his  real  feelings,  but  he  was  too  saga- 
cious, knowing  the  king's  friendship  for  the 
young  man,  to  manifest  any  decided  aversion. 
It  was  not  good  policy,  under  the  circum- 
stances,"to  treat  Hookama  otherwise'than  as  his 
adopted  son  and  a  member  of  his  household. 


A  DISCONSOLATE  LOVER.  307 

Hookama  was  too  glad  to  be  again  in  his 
native  island  to  notice  anything  peculiar  in  Nu- 
muku's  reception  of  him,  and  he  was  too  eager 
to  see  Pu'  Aloha,  to  think  much  about  any 
thing  or  any  body  except  the  lovely  maiden 
who  had  waved  her  red  mantle  to  him  when 
he  departed  (it  seemed  to  him  a  long  time 
ago,)  on  his  adventurous  journey. 

Hookama's  second  in  command  and  the 
other  stout  warriors  who  had  manned  his  war- 
canoe,  were  loud  in  his  praises  as  a  leader,  and 
had  marvellous  stories  to  tell  of  the  enjoy- 
ments afforded  them  by  the  chiefs  of  Hawaii. 
Even  the  beautiful  beach  at  Waikiki,  with  its 
fringe  of  tall  cocoa-palms,  was  nothing,  they 
averred,  in  comparison  with  the  waving  palms 
and  soft  breezes  of  Cocoa-nut  Island,  in  the 
lovely  bay  of  Hilo. 

Hookama  was  not  long  in  seeking  and 
obtaining  an  audience  in  the  royal  house  of 
Kahahana,  and  although  he  had  not  succeeded 
in  arranging  an  alliance  between  the  king  of 
Hawaii  and  the  king  of  Oahu,  yet  the  good 
offices  shown  to  him  by  the  Hawaiian  chiefs 
pleased  the  king,  who  accepted  with  evident 
delight  some  of  the  precious  feathers  of  the 
mamo  which  the  young  alii  had  obtained. 
Besides,  the  king  had  received  a  message  of 
good  will  from  Kahekili  of  Maui,  with  a  re- 


308  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

quest  for  further  aid,  in  case  the  king  of 
Hawaii  should  start  out  on  another  raid.  As 
usual,  the  treacherous  Kahekili  made  great 
promises,  even  going  so  far  as  to  engage  that 
at  his  death,  Kahahana  should  be  appointed 
his  successor.  If  all  the  chiefs  to  whom  the 
same  promise  was  made  had  come  to  the 
throne,  there  would  have  been  more  kings  at 
loggerheads  on  Maui,  than  there  were  reign- 
ing sovereigns  on  all  the  islands  of  the  group. 

The  good-natured  king  only  laughed  when 
Hookama  told  him  of  the  old  Hawaiian  king's 
prophecy  and  his  agreement  to  meet  him  in 
the  land  of  ghosts.  He  felt  of  his  stout  arms 
and  smote  his  broad  chest  .with  his  fists  and 
asked  his  young  friend  if  the  wizened  old 
warrior  had  been  able  to  stand  on  his  thin  legs 
without  support,  during  his  interview  with 
him.  As  for  Kamehameha  and  the  other 
giant  chief,  the  young  king  acknowledged 
their  warlike  ability  and  congratulated  Hook- 
ama on  having  escaped  in  his  contest  with  the 
"Lonely  One,"  whose  superiority  was  well 
known  throughout  all  the  islands. 

The  king  had  no  local  information  for 
Hookama  except  the  result  of  the  Council  of 
Chiefs  in  favor  of  sustaining  the  present  regime. 
He  was  not  very  hopeful  of  securing  the  con- 
tinuance of  their  support,  but  he  was  taking 


A  DISCONSOLATE  LOVER.  309 

measures  to  thwart  any  treacherous  schemes 
which  the  malcontents  might  devise  ;  and  he 
gave  Hookama  to  understand  that  he  should 
rely  implicitly  on  his  loyalty. 

To  this  the  young  alii  assented,  and  ex- 
pressed the  strongest  desire  that  his  friendship 
might  be  tested  in  any  desperate  enterprise  by 
which  he  could  serve  the  king. 

As  the  king  knew  little  concerning  the  pri- 
vate affairs  of  many  of  his  chiefs,  he  could  not 
give  Hookama  any  news  of  Numuku's  house- 
hold, so  that  the  youth  hastened  homeward, 
after  the  interview,  full  of  excited  expectation, 
as  he  thought  of  soon  seeing  Pu'  Aloha.  He 
had  felt  a  strange  diffidence  on  this  subject, 
when  he  met  Numuku  at  the  landing,  and  so 
had  asked  no  questions.  The  old  chief  quite 
naturally  volunteered  no  information,  especial- 
ly as  the  continued  absence  of  Pu'  Aloha  re- 
flected upon  his  guardianship.  Besides,  he 
had  no  good  reason  to  give  for  her  flight,  ex- 
cept that  he  had  pressed  her  to  marry  him 
and  Paao. 

Blithely  and  joyfully,  Hookama  crossed  the 
dry  and  dusty  plains.  Singing  a  merry  song 
he  skirted  the  sides  of  Puu  waina  (Punch  Bowl). 
Almost  out  of  breath,  so  rapidly  did  he  ascend 
Nuuanu  stream,  he  came  nearer  and  nearer 
the  enclosure,  expecting  every  moment  to 


310  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

catch  sight  of  Pu'  Aloha,  who,  he  was  sure, 
had  seen  his  canoe  in  the  offing  and  was  wait- 
ing for  him,  although  his  eye  had  not  dis- 
covered her  in  her  lookout  on  the  tree. 
"  Perhaps,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  the  little 
flower  is  holding  herself  back,  to  make  the 
welcome  more  delightful,"  and  he  entered  the 
area  where  the  chief's  houses  were  grouped, 
as  one  would  tread  upon  enchanted  ground. 

It  was  under  the  glare  of  the  hot  sun  that 
he  crossed  the  sward,  and  he  attributed  the 
stillness  and  the  absence  of  moving  objects  to 
the  heat.  Under  the  shade  in  a  distant  corner 
was  the  little  grass  lodging-house  of  Pu'  Aloha 
covered  with  flowering  vines.  The  verandah 
was  tenantless,  and  the  opening  was  hung 
with  tapa.  "  Perhaps,"  said  he,  "  she  takes 
her  nap  at  noon ;  I  ought  not  to  disturb  her." 
He  gave  a  low  whistle,  as  he  used  to  do,  and 
waited  with  palpitating  heart  for  the  answer. 
Even  Menehune  was  not  at  his  post. 

Some  women,  in  their  houses  near  at  hand, 
heard  the  well-known  signal,  and  coming  forth, 
greeted  him  with  effusive  welcome,  but  at  once 
changed  the  greeting  into  a  wailing  chant,  as 
he  said  eagerly,  "  Where  is  my  flower  ?  Is  she 
sleeping?"  "Alas!"  they  cried  in  a  chorus 
of  lamentation,  "  she  has  gone  ;  many  days ; 


A  DISCONSOLATE  LOVER.  311 

no  one  knows  where  ;  Numuku  has  beaten  us 
many  times." 

Hookama  pushed  aside  the  tapa  and  went 
into  the  room,  which  was  as  Pu'  Aloha  left  it 
the  night  of  her  flight.  Evidences  of  her 
hasty  departure  were  on  every  hand.  The  air 
of  the  room,  usually  fragrant  with  blossoms, 
was  close,  and  a  few  tapa  mantles  were  lying 
on  the  floor  as  if  dropped  in  the  hurry  of  her 
escape.  The  revulsion  of  feeling,  in  the  young 
man's  mind,  left  him  in  a  bewildered  state ; 
he  hardly  believed  his  eyes  and  could  scarcely 
restrain  his  tears.  He  caught  up  a  red  mantle 
of  gauzy  tapa,  which  he  had  often  seen  on 
Pu'  Aloha's  shoulders  and  rushing  rapidly  to 
his  own  hut  on  the  other  side  of  the  enclosure, 
gathered  together  some  of  the  things  he  used 
in  bird-hunting — a  long  coil  of  stout  cord,  a 
strong  staff,  a  calabash,  a  hatchet  of  stone, 
and  a  small  gourd  containing  awa — and,  with- 
out stopping  to  reflect,  was  on  his  way  up  the 
valley-path  before  the  women  could  finish  tell- 
ing all  they  knew. 

They  had  given  him,  however,  unconnected 
scraps  of  information  :  She  had  gone  mauka. 
(towards  the  mountains)  ;  scouts  had  failed  to 
find  her;  Menehune  went  every  day  to  search 
for  her  ;  Numuku  was  cross ;  the  priests  had 
killed  a  hog  and  found  bad  omens.  All  these 


312  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

gossipy  details  made  Hookama  sick  at  heart, 
and  the  whole  world,  so  beautiful  to  him  before, 
was  turned  into  a  wilderness. 

As  he  ran  up  the  valley,  the  sombre  cliffs  in 
shadow  gave  his  heart  a  pang.  "  Perhaps  her 
body  is  lying  in  some  deep,  inaccessible  gulch. 
She  has  fallen  into  some  narrow  fissure."  He 
asked  incoherent  questions  at  the  doors  of  the 
huts  along  the  way,  and  the  women  answered 
softly  as  if  they  knew  he  was  a  disconsolate 
lover.  They  could  give  him  no  information. 
They  had  been  questioned  over  and  over  again 
by  Numuku's  scouts. 

When  he  reached  the  opening,  where  the 
valley  is  a  mile  in  width,  he  struck  off  into  the 
forest  on  the  right,  climbing  the  mountain  by 
a  well-known  path.  Every  gully,  stream,  cliff 
and  peak  was  familiar  to  him  ;  he  passed  up 
among  hollows,  dark  in  shadow  and  silent  as  the 
grave.  In  his  agony  he  forgot  all  prudence  and 
was  startled,  after  a  headlong  leap  over  a  wide 
seam  in  the  rock,  at  the  danger  he  had  escaped. 
Leaning  on  his  staff  to  take  breath,  he  listened 
intently  for  the  slightest  sound.  If  a  dead 
branch  fell  at  his  feet  he  started  as  if  he  feared 
a  sad  discovery. 

For  hours  he  wandered,  not  aimlessly,  but 
searching  gulches  and  jungles;  his  feet  were 
bruised  and  sore,  and  the  tapas  which  he  carried 


A  DISCONSOLATE  LOVER.  313 

on  his  arm  were  torn  in  the  dense  thickets. 
He  had  cut  his  way  through  almost  impassable 
underbrush  and  waded  through  morasses  and 
streams.  He  had  stood  on  lofty  ridges  and 
searched  with  eager  eye  the  landscape.  He  had 
explored  many  a  cave,  for  he  knew  that  fugi- 
tives were  often  secreted  there,  fed  by  the  na- 
tives who  always  sympathized  with  those  who 
fled  from  either  justice  or  cruelty.  One  of  these 
hunted  creatures  he  met  in  an  obscure  gully, 
grubbing  for  roots,  who  told  him  that  the 
assassin  of  the  priests  had  doomed  him  for  sac- 
rifice. To  this  poor  Kanaka,  who  was  scared 
almost  out  of  his  wits  at  the  approach  of 
Hookama,  he  gave  a  few  drops  of  awa  and  a 
cake  of  baked  poi. 

He  was  almost  disheartened  as  his  search 
seemed  fruitless  and  his  limbs  became  weary. 
He  was  obliged  to  rest,  in  order  to  get 
strength  to  keep  on.  Seated  on  a  high  rock, 
looking  up  a  deep  ravine,  wider  than  most  of 
the  gulches  which  he  had  crossed,  he  followed 
with  his  eye  the  desolate  crags,  fallen  and  de- 
caying trees,  lofty  precipices  and  descend- 
ing torrents.  He  wondered  if  by  any  possi- 
bility Pu'  Aloha  could  have  wandered  into  a 
place  so  forbidding. 

Scanning  the  jagged  walls  of  the  opposite 
side  of  the  stupendous  chasm,  he  thought 


314  KELEA :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

he  saw  a  white  spot,  some  distance  up 
the  precipitous  slope.  As  he  strained  his 
eyes,  for  the  distance  was  great,  he  fancied 
that  the  white  object  moved  and  became  like 
an  upright  streak,  an  unusual  color  on  the 
side  of  these  lava /tf/z>.  "  Could  it  be  a  living 
being,  at  such  a  height  and  apparently  cling- 
ing without  support  to  the  smooth  crag  ?  Was 
it  Pu'  Aloha  ? "  The  bare  suggestion  made 
him  tremble.  But  soon  the  probability  that 
the  maiden  was  alive  summoned  back  all  his 
strength.  Climbing  in  and  out,  around  wide 
fissures  and  across  fallen  trees,  he  at  last 
reached  an  opening  where  he  could  obtain  a 
nearer  view.  Yes,  it  was  a  woman  with  a 
white  tapa,  but  she  had  evidently  fallen  from 
either  faintness  or  exhaustion,  and,  with  her 
hand  clutching  something,  a  root  or  vine,  she 
lay  on  what  seemed  at  that  distance  a  slight 
projection  from  the  face  of  the  cliff.  He  did 
not  dare  to  call  out,  for  fear  that  his  voice 
might  startle  and  perhaps  dislodge  her  from  her 
dangerous  position.  Moreover,  he  was  so  far 
off  that  probably  his  loudest  shout  would  not 
reach  her  ears. 

With  incredible  skill  and  great  daring,  he 
crossed  the  gulch  and  climbed  the  height,  and 
finally  gained  a  spot  as  near  as  he  could  esti- 
mate over  the  place  where  the  white  figure 


A  DISCONSOLA TE  LOVER.  31 5 

was  lying.  He  had  with  his  eye  marked  a 
tree,  on  the  summit,  and  it  served  as  a  guide. 
If  he  could  tie  his  rope  to  the  roots  and  swing 
down  he  might  reach  the  object  of  his  pursuit. 
But  he  saw  that  the  rope  would  not  measure 
half  the  distance. 

Nothing  daunted,  for  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
taking  risks,  he  coiled  the  cord  about  his 
waist;  swung  himself  over  the  cliff  by  a 
vine  rooted  securely  in  the  rock  ;  then  made  a 
bold  move  and,  clinging  to  the  vine,  threw  the 
rope,  lasso-fashion,  towards  a  tree  which  grew 
out  of  the  cliff  and  drew  the  supple  trunk 
within  his  reach.  Disengaging  the  rope,  he 
jumped  and  caught  the  tree  which  swayed 
and  bent  under  his  weight.  It  was  a  perilous 
descent,  with  the  tree  vibrating  under  him, 
but  he  gained  the  ledge  from  which  the  tree 
was  growing  and  tied  the  rope  fast  to  its  roots 
which  were  larger  than  the  trunk  itself.  We 
have  seen  how  he  then  descended  and  gained 
a  footing  on  the  narrow  ledge.  No  one  but  a 
skilled  bird-catcher  would  have  attempted  or 
could  have  performed  the  feat,  in  the  face  of 
such  difficulties. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING. 

NEVER  was  there  a  more  astonished  couple 
than  Kelea  and  Hookama,  as  they  stood  on 
that  narrow  projection  half-way  up  the  cliff 
on  Kouahuanui  mountain.  Kelea  had  not 
thought  of  Hookama  as  a  possible  pursuer  or 
rescuer.  Hookama  had  no  idea  that  Kelea  was 
within  a  hundred  miles  of  Oahu. 

"Kelea!  you  here !"  was  Hookama's  first 
exclamation,  "  I  thought  it  was  another — " 
he  was  about  to  say  "another  woman,"  but 
checked  himself  as  he  saw  a  strange  look  on 
her  face.  She  grew  pale  and  more  agitated  as 
he  regarded  her  with  an  expression  of  surprise 
and  disappointment.  Her  body  shook  in  his 
grasp. 

"Tell  me,"  he  cried,  not  knowing  what 
else  to  say,  "  how  did  you  get  here  ?  "  Her 
only  answer  was  an  increasing  pallor  and  a 


AN-  UNEXPECTED  MEETING.  317 

loosening  of  her  hold  on  the  rock.  She  hung 
heavily  on  the  arm  by  which  he  held  her,  as  if 
her  strength  were  failing,  and  faintly  mur- 
mured, "  You  swore  there  was  no  other ;  let 
me  go ;  fling  me  down  the  pali.  Oh,  Hookama, 
Hookama !  " 

Her  weight  was  becoming  too  heavy  for 
him  to  support  with  his  left  arm,  and  his  right 
hand  which  held  the  taut  rope  was  cramped  by 
the  strain.  If  he  let  go,  either  of  the  rope  or 
of  the  girl,  there  was  great  danger  of  a  catas- 
trophe. 

Perceiving  the  imminent  peril,  the  young 
man  changed  his  tone :  "  Kelea !  command 
yourself.  Lie  down  and  cling  to  that  root,  or 
we  shall  both  fall  into  the  chasm.  This  is  no 
place  for  weakness."  The  girl  obeyed  and  he 
assisted  her  to  lie  down.  Then,  with  both 
hands  on  the  rope,  he  cautiously  looked  about 
for  means  of  escape. 

They  could  not  climb  back  by  the  way  he 
had  come  down.  He  could  not  lower  the  girl, 
for  the  rope  was  fastened  above.  There  was  a 
chance  for  one  person,  leaving  the  other  on 
the  ledge,  to  swing  off  by  the  rope,  the  loose 
end  of  which,  when  let  go,  would  reach 
several  feet  below  the  place  where  they  stood, 
but  would  thus  be  swung  around  the  point, 
and  out  of  the  reach  of  the  one  who  was  left. 


318  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

One  could  then  drop  from  the  rope  to  a  pro- 
jecting rock  a  few  feet  lower  and,  by  a  com- 
paratively easy  descent,  get  down  the  rest  of 
the  way. 

The  person  left  on  the  ledge  without  the 
rope  must  take  his  chances  of  some  other  way 
out  of  the  difficulty.  He  explained  the 
method  of  escape  to  Kelea,  but  she  flatly  re- 
fused to  go,  if  he  must  remain. 

"  What  cares  Kelea,"  she  said  in  a  tender 
voice,  "  how  soon  she  finds  her  'time  to  sleep,' 
now  that  Hookama  has  come  back  and  is 
willing  to  save  her  life  at  the  expense  of  his 
own !  No,  no,  save  thyself ;  thy  life  is  far 
dearer  to  me  than  my  own,"  and  she  looked  up 
into  his  face  with  an  expression  that  he  had 
never  seen  on  her  countenance  before. 

He  turned  away  as  if  to  examine  the 
means  of  escape  more  carefully,  but  his 
thought  was,  "  Is  then  her  love  for  me  like 
that  ?  "  After  peering  over  the  ledge,  he  pre- 
tended to  have  discovered  another,  although 
more  difficult  way  down  and,  turning  to 
Kelea,  declared  in  a  cheerful  voice,  "  Now 
for  the  rope  ;  I  can  easily  descend." 

It  was  only  after  he  assured  her,  over  and 
over  again,  that  he  could  go  down  the  way  she 
had  come  up,  that  he  prevailed  on  her  to  leave 
the  ledge.  "  I  must  be  a  poor  bird-catcher  if 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING.  319 

I  cannot  climb  down  where  a  zva/iinehas  come 
up,"  he  exclaimed  as  he  put  the  rope  into  her 
hands.  Her  nerve  was  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency, for  she  boldly  made  the  plunge,  de- 
scended hand  over  hand  and  landed  in  safety. 

The  next  moment  she  called  out  joyously  to 
Hookama  to  lower  himself  on  the  other  side 
of  the  ledge,  and  climb  down  by  a  big  root, 
from  which  a  tough  koali  vine  was  hanging. 
Hookama  lost  no  time  in  following  the  sugges- 
tion, and  the  two  joined  each  other,  after  a 
hard  scramble,  at  the  bottom  of  the  gulch. 

The  young  alii  broke  the  painful  silence 
that  fell  upon  them  both  as  they  stood  to- 
gether in  the  shadows  of  the  valley,  by  saying, 
as  he  pointed  to  the  narrow  ledge,  "  The  rope 
is  there  ;  now  let  somebody  else  try  to  get  a 
girl  off  that  wrinkle  of  the  cliff,  if  he  can." 

Kelea  mechanically  turned  and  looked  up 
towards  the  ledge,  but  she  was  not  looking  at 
the  rope.  Her  soul  was  quivering  in  the 
presence  of  the  man  for  whom  she  had  dared 
much  and  would  dare  more,  even  at  the  risk 
of  losing  everything  but  his  love.  She  was 
burning  with  the  desire  to  feel  the  thrill  of  his 
touch,  the  joy  of  his  affection,  or  even  the 
heart's  ease  of  a  single  kindly  word.  The  im- 
pulse came  upon  her,  not  with  the  recklessness 
of  her  previous  passion  but  as  a  strong  inclina- 


320  RELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

tion,  to  throw  her  arms  about  him,  lay  her 
head  upon  his  shoulder  and  cling  to  him  as 
for  her  life. 

Her  eyes  grew  lustrous  and  her  heart 
throbbed  beneath  the  folds  of  tapa  wrapped 
about  her.  Unconsciously,  she  loosened  the 
cloth  that  concealed  the  charms  of  her  neck 
and  shoulders,  and  turned  towards  the  object 
enshrined  in  her  soul.  » 

Hookama  hardly  noticed  her  movement, 
although  his  eyes  were  in  that  direction.  His 
thoughts  were  wholly  on  Pu'  Aloha.  He  was 
provoked,  almost  angry  that  he  had  rescued 
Kelea,  when  another  and  a  dearer  one  was  the 
object  of  his  search.  It  was  a  most  inoppor- 
tune moment  for  any  advances  on  the  part  of 
the  girl.  At  this  particular  time  she  was  an 
obstacle  in  his  path,  he  must  guide  her  out 
of  the  wild  country  and  delay  the  pursuit  on 
which  his  whole  mind  was  bent.  He  was 
almost  in  despair  lest  his  search  should  be 
fruitless. 

As  the  girl  turned  towards  him,  her  glowing 
face  mocked  his  anxiety.  With  as  calm  a 
voice  as  he  could  command  he  asked  where  he 
should  take  her.  He  did  not  question  her  as 
to  how  she  came  to  the  island.  He  seemed  in- 
different and  without  curiosity. 

Instantly,  all   the   haughty  manner   of   the 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING.  32! 

proud  woman  returned  as  she  replied,  "  I  need 
no  guidance ;  as  I  came  I  can  go.  Leave  me 
to  myself,  since  you  treat  me  as  a  slave  ! " 

"  But  I  cannot  let  you  go  alone  ;  night  is 
coming  and  the  way  is  dangerous,"  rejoined 
the  youth  in  a  less  irritated  voice.  "  You  may 
live  in  a  cave  or  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  but 
I  shall  see  you  safe  somewhere  before  I  leave 
you.  You  are  lost,  and  you  know  it.  I  am 
perfectly  at  home  in  these  wild  lands.  An- 
swer me  then,  where  do  you  live  ?  " 

Kelea  felt  that  it  would  be  useless  to  resist 
and  at  once  described  the  house  on  the  cliff. 
Hookama  knew  it  well  and  the  way  to  it.  He 
often  went  there  in  his  expeditions.  He  and 
the  old  "  mother "  were  excellent  friends. 
With  hasty  steps  he  started  off  and  Kelea 
followed. 

After  an  hour's  toil  over  the  rough  country, 
going  in  single  file  and  without  exchanging  a 
word,  Kelea  demanded  a  halt.  She  was  tired 
and  must  rest.  She  sat  down  on  a  fallen 
trunk  by  the  wayside,  and  Hookama  stood 
near  by,  with  his  back  towards  her,  while  he 
impatiently  struck  the  ground  with  his  staff. 

Kelea  looked  about  her  at  the  wild  flowers 
growing  profusely  at  her  side  and  finally  after 
calling  a  number  of  them  by  their  names,  she 
plucked  one  of  the  loveliest,  and,  as  if  com- 


322  KELEA:   THE  SURF-RIDER. 

muning  with  her  own  thoughts,  said  in  a  sub- 
dued tone  of  voice,  "  Pua-aloha,  the  fairest  of 
them  all !  "  She  was  repeating  the  words  and 
holding  the  flower  to  her  bosom,  looking  around 
for  more  of  the  same  kind,  when  Hookama,  as 
if  startled  from  a  reverie  by  the  name,  wheeled 
around  and  faced  her,  exclaiming,  "  Pu' Aloha  ! 
what  do  you  know  of  her  ?  Tell  me  at  once." 

The  flush  on  the  young  man's  cheek  revealed 
the  indignation  he  felt  against  the  girl  who 
spoke  so  calmly,  as  he  supposed,  of  one  whose 
very  existence,  so  precious  to  him,  might  at 
that  moment  be  in  deadly  peril. 

"Pu' Aloha?  Pu' Aloha?"  replied  Kelea  ; 
"  I  was  only  looking  at  the  flower  called  by 
that  name.  Pu'  Aloha  ! — "  and  firmly  setting 
her  lips  and  teeth,  she  looked  steadily  at  the 
youth,  who  could  not  restrain  his  impatience 
and,  completely  off  his  guard,  fiercely  ejacu- 
lated, "  Tell  me  where  she  is,  if  you  know.  I  was 
searching  for  her  when  I  found  you  on  the 
cliff.  If  you  think — "  But  Hookama  was  not 
allowed  to  finish  the  sentence.  Kelea,  stung 
by  his  tone  as  much  as  by  his  language,  cried 
out,  "  Aha,  my  alii,  then  she  is  '  the  other.' 
Had  I  only  known  it  sooner  !  Why  did  you 
not  tell  me  in  the  vale  of  lao  and  save  me  this 
long  journey  in  search  of  you?" 

As  if  revolving  something  in  her  mind,  she 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING.  323 

continued,  half  speaking  to  herself  :  "  Ah,  yes  ! 
I  think  Menehune  said  something  about  a  girl 
of  that  name  who  ran  away  from  a  chief  who 
wanted  to  marry  her,  and  from  a  man  called 
Paao,  who  was  in  league  with  the  chief. 

"  Pu'  Aloha ;  "  she  looked  into  the  flashing 
eyes  of  Hookama  as  she  lengthened  out  the 
torture  ;  "  Pu'  Aloha  ;  the  girl  that  was  lost 
and  came  not  back  to  the  loving  pair  in 
Nuuanu  valley,  who  sought  her  so  tenderly. 
Pu'  Aloha !  "  and  she  shot  a  keen  glance  at  the 
alii,  who  was  kept  silent  by  the  hope  of  hear- 
ing something  that  would  give  him  a  clue  in 
his  search  for  his  loved  one. 

"  Ah,  yes  !  You  were  looking  for  her  when 
you  found  me.  I  see  it  now.  You  would  cast 
me  into  that  chasm  "  (pointing  to  a  yawning 
riff  in  the  rocks  near  by,)  "  for  one  glimpse  of 
your  '  flower  of  love  ' — you  would  kill  me — do 
not  speak  yet — yes,  kill  me,  if  you  might,  by 
doing  it,  clasp  this  sweetheart  to  your  breast. 

"  I  see  ;  I  see !  "  and  leaving  this  acting  of  a 
part,  the  excited  and  now  angry  girl  spit  forth 
words  of  scorn  and  wrath  and  fury  at  the  man 
who  waited  with  brain  on  fire  to  hear  the  end, 
if  at  the  end  he  might  learn  where  to  find  the 
treasure  of  his  heart. 

"  I  hate  you,  Hookama  !  As  I  loved  you 
with  all  the  ardor  of  a  flaming  torch,  I  hate 


324  KELEA  .•  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

you  now  with  the  red  fire  of  a  Pele's  wrath. 
Go  to  your  Flower  of  Love  !  She  is  at  the 
house  on  the  cliff.  I  have  been  with  her  there 
for  weeks,  and  she  has  never  so  much  as 
breathed  your  name.  Go  and  be  happy  with 
your  goddess,  if  she  condescends  to  let  you 
touch  the  tip  of  one  of  her  fingers  ;  but  re- 
member, if  you  dare  tell  her  that  I  have  made 
love  to  you — or  that  I  have  even  seen  you — 
I  will  devote  you  both  to  the  infernal  gods. 
Go,  and  may  the  thought  of  Kelea  poison  your 
life,  till  you  sink  into  the  pit  of  Milu,  where 
perhaps  your  other  victims  await  you,  to 
torment  you  forever." 

She  hardly  knew  what  she  was  saying. 
Hookama  became  more  and  more  angry.  His 
impulse  was  to  spring  at  her  and  close  her 
mouth,  lest  she  should  revile  Pu'  Aloha  as  well 
as  himself.  Kelea  divined  his  purpose  and, 
before  he  could  take  a  step  to  execute  it, 
swiftly  and  lightly  bounded  from  the  path 
and  was  on  the  high  rocks  over  the  way,  with  a 
heavy  stone  ready  in  her  hands  to  hurl  at  him 
if  he  attempted  to  follow.  Her  nostrils  were 
distended  and  her  strong  arms  poised  the  mis- 
sile above  her  head. 

Hookama  saw  at  once  the  folly  of  urging  the 
girl  to  further  words  or  acts.  It  would  be 
madness  to  make  her  his  enemy.  What  might 


AN  UNEXPECTED  MEETING.  325 

she  not  do  to  Pu'  Aloha?  His  first  thought 
was  of  that.  He  crossed  his  arms  therefore 
over  his  breast. 

"  What  foolishness,  Kelea,  to  act  like  la-e 
puni  (one  marked  in  the  forehead) !  Think 
you  I  would  hurt  you  ?  that  I  mean  you  any 
harm  ?  I  swear  by  all  the  gods  to  say  nothing 
of  this  to  any  one.  You  will  be  safe  with  me. 
Come  down  and  leave  your  wrath  behind  you. 
There  is  no  need  of — " 

But  Kelea,  dashing  the  stone  into  the  gulf, 
with  a  gesture  of  disdain  and  defiance  turned 
her  back  and  disappeared  from  his  sight^  as  if 
she  had  sunk  into  the  chasm,  where  she  had 
hurled  the  heavy  rock.  Hookama  made  no 
attempt  to  follow  her.  He  quickly  pushed  on 
to  the  house  on  the  cliff,  eager  to  meet  his  be- 
loved, hoping  to  find  her  more  of  a  woman 
than  a  goddess,  notwithstanding  the  assertions 
of  Kelea  and  his  own  fears. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

BETROTHED. 

THE  moon,  just  rising  over  thepatt,  shed  a 
flood  of  light  upon  the  youth's  approaching 
figure,  as  he  came  around  the  point  of  the  cliff 
which  jutted  out  at  the  turn  of  the  path  close 
by  the  house.  On  the  lanai  was  the  idol  of 
his  soul.  He  thought  she  was  watching  for 
his  coming,  for  Pu'  Aloha,  hearing  footsteps 
and  awaiting  the  return  of  Kelea,  involuntarily 
turned  and  was  starting  towards  him. 

With  a  cry  of  joy,  for  instantly  she  recog- 
nized his  form,  the  eager  girl  hurried  to  meet 
him.  The  two  lovers  clasped  each  other  in  an 
ecstasy  of  delight  and  for  a  blissful  season 
were  in  that  paradise  where  young  love  finds 
mystic  signs  known  only  to  the  initiated. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  life  Hookama  felt 
the  thrill  of  intense,  abounding  and  complete 
rapture,  which  comes  but  once  yet  remains  an 
unwasted  memory  for  all  time.  Nothing  he 


BETROTHED.  327 


had  ever  experienced  could  compare  with  the 
supreme  moment,  in  which,  all  uncertainty 
vanished,  he  realized  that  Pu'  Aloha's  heart  of 
hearts  was  his.  If,  till  this  hour,  the  maiden 
had  been  a  goddess  to  be  worshipped,  a  being 
far  above  him  to  be  enshrined  only  in  his 
heart,  now,  clasped  in  his  arms  and  telling  him 
with  her  own  lips  that  she  loved  him  with  her 
whole  soul,  she  became  still  more  adorable  but 
not  so  far  off.  He  liked  this  better,  and  so 
did  she. 

The  moon  hid  its  face  behind  a  fleecy  cloud, 
and  even  the  blind  "  mother,"  who  came  out 
as  unusual  sounds  reached  her  ears,  was  oblivi- 
ous of  the  mysteries  into  which  pagan  souls, 
as  well  as  others,  are  guided  by  the  god  of 
love,  a  deity  unknown  among  their  mytholog- 
ical divinities. 

But  when  the  silver  orb  soared  above  the 
cloud  like  "a  floating  thought,"  the  twain  now 
made  one,  followed  along  its  luminous  path- 
way, shining  across  the  threshold  of  the  house, 
and  having  told  the  "  mother "  of  their 
betrothal,  called  on  her  to  consummate  the 
customary  usage.  She  threw  over  them  the 
marriage  tapa  ;  only  a  few  formal  words,  and 
Pu'  Aloha  and  Hookama  became  husband 
and  wife,  according  to  the  approved  manner 
of  Hawaiian  chiefs. 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


The  absence  of  Kelea  was  noticed  both  by 
the  "mother"  and  Pu' Aloha,  but  Hookama 
allayed  their  apprehensions  by  pointing  to  the 
sky,  which  had  become  wholly  free  from 
clouds,  and  to  the  moon,  which  filled  all  things 
with  a  radiance  as  bright  as  that  within  his 
heart.  The  ceremonial,  such  as  it  was,  found 
its  conclusion  when  Hookama  partook  of  a 
well-seasoned  calabash  of  J>oi,  which  he  much 
needed  after  his  long  abstinence,  and  then  in  a 
tangle  of  vines  at  the  side  of  the  house,  he  and 
his  bride  screened  themselves  from  the  mists 
arising  from  the  valley. 

There  was  so  much  to  tell  each  other,  to  say 
nothing  of  trifling  interruptions  between  the 
sentences,  that  the  newly  wedded  pair  might 
have  forgotten  everything  except  their  own 
confidences  had  not  suddenly  the  grotesque 
body  of  the  dwarf-giant  intercepted  the  moon- 
light and  created  a  most  undesired  diversion 
of  their  thoughts. 

Menehune  was  very  demonstrative  in  grunts 
and  monosyllables  over  Hookama's  return, 
and  Hookama  was  unusually  profuse  in 
acknowledging  his  services  to  Pu'  Aloha.  The 
dwarf,  however,  regarded  the  occasion  in  a 
somewhat  different  light  from  that  in  which 
the  lovers  saw  it,  and  his  actions  corresponded 
more  with  his  point  of  view  than  with  theirs. 


BETROTHED.  329 


He  squatted  down  in  front  of  the  couple,  as 
if  impressed  with  the  idea  that  a  watchman 
was  needed  to  keep  off  intruders,  and  gazed 
steadily  at  them,  in  silent  endeavor  to  express 
his  unqualified  approbation.  He  had  wit- 
nessed a  few  of  their  love  passages,  as  he  came 
around  an  angle  of  the  rocks  into  the  enchanted 
circle,  and  evidently  wanted  to  see  more, 
thinking,  doubtless  that  nothing  could  be 
more  natural  and  in  keeping  with  the  impor- 
tant occasion. 

The  eyes  of  her  favorite  dog,  or  a  wistful 
look  on  its  face,  would  not  have  disconcerted 
a  woman  of  Pu'  Aloha's  strength  of  mind 
under  similar  conditions,  even  with  Hook- 
ama's  arm  about  her  and  her  head  nestling  on 
his  shoulder.  But  somehow,  Menehune's 
interested  look  made  her  cheeks  burn  and  her 
eyes  seek  the  ground. 

The  soul  of  Menehune  was  certainly  ex- 
panding ;  his  narrow,  darkened  mind  was 
catching  some  gleams  of  light,  whether  the 
lovers  cared  to  be  the  medium  of  the  new 
radiance  or  not.  In  fact,  they  were  not  just 
then  in  an  altruistic  mood  and  inwardly  re- 
sented the  dwarf's  sympathetic  approval. 
Their  mutual  caresses  ceased  and  they  began 
to  talk  about  the  weather.  "  It  is  too  damp 
to  stay  longer  out  of  doors."  They  also 


330  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

shifted  their  relative  positions  and  Hookama 
adjusted  the  tapa  mantle  about  Pu'  Aloha's 
shoulders. 

The  spell  was  broken.  Menehune's  face 
gradually  resumed  its  usual  stolidity.  His 
mind  wandered  and  his  eyes  stared  into  va- 
cancy. He  was  less  and  less  interested  in  tak- 
ing observations.  His  head  dropped  forward 
and  he  clasped  it  with  his  big  hands.  His  ears 
hung  limp.  It  was  not  long  before  the  falling 
asleep  of  the  squat  figure  at  their  feet  was  dem- 
onstrated to  the  amiable  lovers  by  sounds  so 
utterly  at  variance  with  the  music  in  their 
hearts,  and  the  dissonance  jarred  so  much  on 
their  ears,  that,  quietly  and  without  waking 
the  sleeper,  they  went  into  an  eclipse  beyond 
the  jutting  rock. 

When  Menehune  came  to  himself,  a  little 
later,  and  found  himself  alone,  he  stood  up 
straight,  pulled  his  ears,  looked  inadvertently 
at  the  moon  and  went  into  the  house.  If  he 
had  been  gifted  with  a  tail  he  would  not  have 
wagged  it,  and  the  pitiless  lovers  lost  a  golden 
opportunity  of  enlarging  still  more  both  the 
mental  and  the  emotional  horizon  of  their 
most  devoted  follower. 

It  had  been  only  by  chance  in  her  wander- 
ings that  Kelea,  soon  after  leaving  Hookama  in 
the  summary  way  we  have  described,  crossed 


BETROTHED.  331 

the  path  of  the  dwarf-giant  on  his  way  to  the 
house  on  the  cliff.  She  managed  to  give  him 
an  idea  of  Paao's  conspiracy  and  a  description 
of  the  cave,  which  he  knew  well,  having  often 
explored  the  recesses  of  this  lonely  mountain 
for  purposes  of  his  own  in  connection  with  the 
house  where  his  mother  was  living. 

She  made  him  understand  that  he  must 
warn  Numuku  or  the  king,  the  very  next  day. 
She  said  she  was  going  away  on  a  visit  for  a 
few  days,  and  when  he  offered  to  go  with  and 
guard  her,  she  declared  that  she  had  no  fear 
and  that  he  could  be  of  greater  use  to  Pu' 
Aloha.  The  dwarf,  whose  intelligence  in 
matters  of  war  and  wood-craft  was  singularly 
shrewd,  comprehended  the  situation  ;  and,  de- 
lighted to  know  that  his  mistress  needed  him, 
made  no  further  offer  of  his  services  to  Kelea, 
but  after  a  few  grimaces  and  antics,  in  token  of 
his  joy  at  the  prospect  of  capturing  the  traitor, 
strode  off  over  crags  and  through  the  scrubby 
bushes  making  a  bee-line  for  home,  where  he 
found  Hookama  as  has  been  described. 

The  next  day,  he  told  the  alii  what  Kelea 
said  about  Paao  and  was  cautioned  to  tell 
nothing  of  it  to  the  women,  except  that  he  had 
met  Kelea  who  would  be  absent  a  few  days. 
As  for  himself,  Hookama  was  impatient  to 
learn  more  of  the  conspiracy.  He  must  over- 


332  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

throw  Paao's  nefarious  schemes,  and  he  must 
go  to  the  king  at  once ;  Menehune  might  go 
with  him. 

To  Pu'  Aloha  he  explained  the  situation  as 
a  matter  already  known  to  him,  and  referred 
casually  to  the  fact  that  Menehune  had  met 
the  woman  they  called  Kelea,  and  who  said  she 
was  going  away  for  a  few  days.  As  he  en- 
larged on  Paao's  treacherous  actions,  Pu' Aloha 
gave  him  an  account  of  the  traitor's  odious 
proposals  to  her.  This  made  the  young  man 
furious.  It  helped  him  tear  himself  away  from 
his  bride,  and,  followed  by  the  dwarf,  he  took 
his  way  down  the  mountain.  He  obtained 
more  information  from  Menehune  and  gave 
the  dwarf  orders  which  made  him  of  great  ser- 
vice as  a  spy  on  the  movements  of  Paao,  dur- 
ing the  next  day. 

When  the  king  heard  Hookama's  story  he 
sent  at  once  for  Numuku.  The  old  chief  was 
thunderstruck  at  the  story  of  Paao's  treachery. 
At  first  he  would  not  believe  it ;  he  said  it  was 
one  of  Hookama's  tricks.  But  after  learning 
all  the  the  details  he  became  convinced  that 
the  conspiracy  was  imminent  and  dangerous. 

The  two  chiefs  arranged  at  once  for  an  ex- 
pedition to  capture  the  conspirators.  Mene- 
hune had  discovered  that  a  meeting  would  be 
held  the  next  afternoon  by  the  rebels,  in  the 


BETROTHED.  333 


cave.  Numuku  agreed  to  lead  a  dozen  of  his 
warriors  and  Hookama  selected  the  same 
number  from  the  king's  bodyguard,  among 
them  Maili,  who  knew  the  paths  over  the 
mountain. 

When  this  arrangement  was  completed, 
Hookama,  in  presence  of  the  king,  told  Nu- 
muku that  he  had  found  Pu'  Aloha  and  that 
she  was  now  under  his  protection  as  his  wife. 
The  old  chief  fumed  and  raged  at  this  an- 
nouncement and  the  two  chiefs  would  have 
come  to  blows  then  and  there,  had  not  the 
king  sternly  commanded  them  to  refrain,  re- 
minding them  of  the  necessity  of  friendship 
and  prudence  in  the  face  of  the  conspiracy 
which  threatened  the  very  existence  of  his 
authority. 

It  was  difficult  to  pacify  Numuku,  who 
cared  less  for  Pu'  Aloha  than  for  his  pride  as 
the  first  chief  in  authority  under  the  king. 
However,  when  the  king  promised  him  still 
greater  privileges  and  said  that  thereafter 
Hookama  would  be  under  his  own  immediate 
command  as  a  member  of  his  bodyguard,  the 
chief  grudgingly  consented  to  waive  the  matter 
in  dispute  and  went  off,  after  touching  noses 
with  Hookama  in  token  of  more  or  less 
amity. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

HOOKAMA  AND  PAAO  SETTLE  A    QUESTION. 

HOOKAMA  spent  a  restless  night.  In  his 
waking  vigils,  thoughts  came  to  him  which 
aroused  all  the  innate  savagery  of  his  nature. 
He  brooded  in  the  darkness  over  Paao's  treat- 
ment of  Pu'  Aloha  till  his  soul  was  wrought 
up  to  a  high  pitch  of  wrath.  Hot  passion 
made  it  impossible  to  close  his  eyes.  His 
mind  harbored  the  most  fiendish  means  of  tor- 
ture. He  would  tear  out  his  enemy's  heart ; 
pluck  out  his  eyes. 

It  was  the  young  aliis  first  experience  of 
the  passion  of  revenge.  No  object  had  pre- 
sented itself  before  this  time  to  call  out  this 
feeling.  In  the  heat  of  battle  there  was  no 
stimulus  to  excite  this  passion.  He  fought  as 
a  warrior  bred  to  arms ;  partly  under  the  excite- 
ment of  the  conflict  and  in  part  to  win  re- 
nown. If  he  felt  the  rising  to  white  heat  of 
his  temper  in  actual  conflict  with  a  foe,  it  was 


HOOKAMA  AND  PAAO  SETTLE  A  QUESTION.    335 

without  any  personal  hatred  in  his  heart. 
He  could  see  a  vanquished  enemy  taken  to  the 
heiau  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  gods,  without  the 
least  angry  emotion,  as  he  would  have  gone 
himself. 

Now,  wrought  up  to  a  frenzy  by  his  hate, 
he  looked  on  Paao  as  a  monster  to  be  throt- 
tled, a  fiend  on  whom  he  would  stamp  and 
over  whose  mutilated  body  he  could  dance 
and  sing.  Under  these  new  conditions,  the 
underlying  proclivity  of  his  savage  nature  to 
revenge  came  uppermost. 

During  the  morning,  the  warriors  of  Hoo- 
kama's  troops  sauntered  off  one  by  one  as  if  for 
a  stroll  in  Manoa  valley,  having  been  ordered 
to  meet  near  a  waterfall  at  an  appointed  hour. 
Their  heavy  spears  had  been  sent  to  the  ren- 
dezvous before  daydawn  with  men  to  guard 
them.  Numuku  and  his  band  were  to  meet 
them  there  in  the  afternoon. 

To  pass  away  the  time,  not  caring  much 
whither  he  went,  Hookama  bent  his  steps 
toward  the  heiau  near  Leahi  (Diamond  Head.) 
It  was  a  gloomy,  walled  enclosure  of  several 
acres  in  extent.  The  walls  of  dark  brown  stone, 
thick  and  high,  were  surmounted  by  hideous 
idols  of  various  shapes  and  many  degrees  of 
ugliness.  Over  the  entrance  were  the  grinning 
heads  of  victims  who  had  been  sacrificed. 


336  KELEA  :   THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Ordinarily,  the  young  chief  would  have 
passed  by  this  forbidding  structure  with  its 
ghastly  symbols,  and  perhaps  have  given  it  no 
thought.  Now,  its  dismal  horrors  met  the 
conditions  of  his  irritated  mind.  He  folded  his 
arms  and  surveyed  the  frightful  array  of  heads 
as  if  affording  himself  relief  from  his  own  re- 
flections. They  were  tangible  emblems  of 
what  he  would  bring  upon  Paao.  After  sating 
his  passion  with  vowing  the  same  fate  to  his 
enemy,  he  retraced  his  steps,  and,  at  the  king's 
house,  ate  his  noonday  meal  without  betray- 
ing any  emotion.  He  had  now  a  visible  pic- 
ture before  his  eyes  of  the  end  and  aim  of  his 
revenge.  It  gave  him  sufficient  self-control  to 
allow  him  to  narrate  to  the  king,  in  a  lively 
and  amusing  manner,  some  of  his  adventures 
with  Lou,  at  the  volcano  on  Hawaii. 

No  sooner,  however,  was  he  with  his  troops 
of  warriors  on  the  mountain  trail,  than  his 
passionate  mood  returned  more  violently  than 
ever.  The  wild  country  teemed  with  sugges- 
tions of  the  evil  things  which  Paao  might  have 
brought  upon  Pu'  Aloha.  His  hand  clutched 
his  long,  heavy  spear,  as  he  strode  on  in  his 
wrath  before  his  men.  He  was  even  ready  to 
look  on  Numuku  with  favor,  since  he  had  be- 
come an  ally  in  dealing  out  vengeance  to  the 
far  more  execrable  object  of  his  resentment. 


HOOKAMA  AND  PAAO  SETTLE  A  QUESTION.    337 

When  the  two  bands,  under  command  of  the 
old  chief,  approached  the  cave  where  the  con- 
spirators had  been  in  council,  it  was  evident 
that  they  were  forewarned.  Instead  of  scatter- 
ing to  their  homes,  they  awaited,  like  brave 
Hawaiian  chiefs  as  they  were,  in  battle  array 
the  coming  of  their  pursuers.  All  but  one  or 
two  were  young  men,  yet,  with  the  single  ex- 
ception of  Paao,  who  counselled  flight,  the 
fifteen  nobles,  conscious  of  no  wrong  in  plot- 
ting to  overthrow  the  weak  government  of  the 
king,  determined  to  win  or  die.  If  they  won, 
it  would  be  the  first  step  toward  ultimate  vic- 
tory. 

An  open  space  around  the  cave  afforded 
ample  room  for  hand-to-hand  encounters.  A 
barricade  of  stones  had  been  hurriedly  erected 
and  the  conspirators  were  massed  behind  it. 
A  whoop  and  a  yell  gave  the  signal  to  the  king's 
warriors.  The  desperate  rebels  met  the  onset 
with  a  shower  of  javelins  and  the  points  of 
their  long  spears.  Two  of  Numuku'sband  fell 
to  the  earth.  Orders  had  been  given  to  secure 
as  many  of  the  malcontents  alive,  as  was  possi- 
ble. The  king's  warriors  therefore  made 
strenuous  efforts  to  disarm  rather  than  slay 
their  foes. 

They  wrested  the  spears  from  their  hands. 
They  clutched  them  around  the  body  and  held 


338  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

up,  by  the  wrist,  hands  that  wielded  the  dagger 
or  the  javelin.  The  ground  became  slippery 
with  the  blood  of  the  combatants.  At  the 
close  of  the  struggle  eight  of  the  conspirators 
lay  dead  or  mortally  wounded  on  the  sward 
while  six  of  the  king's  warriors  never  would 
fight  again.  Two  of  the  rebel  chiefs  escaped 
but  five  were  prisoners,  more  or  less  wounded, 
and  each  was  well  bound  with  cords. 

Hookama,  early  in  the  fight,  singled  out 
Paao  and  rushed  upon  him  furiously,  uttering 
the  most  exasperating  taunts  and  carelessly 
exposing  himself  to  his  adversary's  thrusts. 
Paao's  blood  was  up,  and  seeing  Hookama's 
frenzy  he  hoped  to  win  an  easy  victory.  His 
skill  soon  proved  more  than  a  match  for  the  reck- 
less fighting  of  his  opponent,  who  was  at  last 
forced  back  against  the  rocks  near  the  cave's 
mouth,  where  he  was  obliged  to  defend  him- 
self with  his  heavy  stone-battle-axe  from  the 
long  dagger  and  javelins  of  Paao. 

Menehune  had  been  watching  the  combat 
from  a  perch  on  the  top  of  the  cave.  He  was 
not  a  trained  fighter  and  carried  no  weapon, 
but  whenever  he  saw  an  advantage  gained  by 
any  conspirator,  he  jumped  down  and  caught 
the  rebel  by  the  legs,  tripping  him  up.  He 
thereby  contributed  his  share  towards  the 
capture  of  a  number  of  the  enemy.  The 


HOOKAMA  AND  PAAO  SETTLE  A  QUESTION.    339 

crowning  achievement  of  the  dwarf  was  the 
part  he  took  in  settling  the  question  between 
Hookama  and  Paao.  The  faithful  fellow  sup- 
posed that  Hookama  could  take  care  of  him- 
self, but  when  he  saw  him  hard  pressed  by 
Paao,  he  felt  called  upon  to  interfere,  even  at 
the  risk  of  robbing  his  master  of  a  share  in  the 
glory  of  victory. 

The  two  combatants  were  by  themselves 
near  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  with  quite  a 
space  between  them  and  the  other  fighters. 
Paao  was  lunging  forward,  with  his  javelin 
aimed  at  the  exposed  breast  of  Hookama,  who 
stood  against  the  rock.  Before  Paao  could 
thrust  the  weapon,  Menehune  ran  and  hit  him 
full  in  the  back  with  his  shoulder.  The  blow 
sent  him  head  foremost  towards  Hookama, 
who  caught  Paao's  head  between  his  legs  as  he 
plunged  forward.  Then,  as  Paao  grasped 
Hookama's  legs  which  held  him  by  the  neck  as 
in  a  vise,  Hookama  fell  on  his  knees  and 
pinned  Paao  under  him  to  the  ground.  Be- 
fore he  had  time  to  do  more,  Menehune  im- 
provised a  scourge  from  pieces  of  a  broken 
javelin,  and,  swinging  it  in  his  big  right  hand 
while  his  left  pressed  down  his  victim  by  the 
small  of  the  back,  he  proceeded  to  belabor 
the  right  and  left  flanks  of  the  enemy,  thus  re- 
venging himself  on  Paao  for  numerous  affronts 


340  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER, 

in  days  gone  by,  and  paying  off  old  scores  for 
Pu'  Aloha  and  Hookama. 

Having  thus  satisfied  his  sense  of  what  was 
just  and  right  under  the  circumstances,  the 
dwarf  sat  on  the  prostrate  body  while 
Hookama  twisted  thongs  around  the  legs  and 
arms  of  the  crestfallen  descendant  of  many 
generations  of  the  priestly  line.  The  two  men 
then  tumbled  Paao  into  the  cave,  and  Mene- 
hune  stood  guard  at  the  entrance  with  Paao's 
javelin  in  his  hand,  leaving  Hookama  free  to 
engage  other  warriors  more  worthy  of  his 
prowess. 

Two  days  after  the  capture  of  the  conspi- 
rators by  Numuku  and  Hookama,  the  inner 
area  of  the  heiau,  near  Leahi,  was  the  scene 
of  unusual  activity.  Preparations  were  going 
on  for  the  sacrifice  of  the  five  conspiring 
chiefs  and  Paao,  who  had  been  closely 
guarded  in  prison,  awaiting  the  decision  of  the 
king  and  his  counsellors.  The  priests  made 
a  vain  attempt  to  save  Paao  ;  two  of  them 
had  secretly  despatched  the  messenger  that 
warned  the  alii  at  the  cave  on  the  mountain. 
The  high-priest,  Kaopulupulu,  claimed  exemp- 
tion from  the  king's  jurisdiction  for  Paao,  be- 
cause of  his  priestly  lineage. 

But  Kahahana  was  firm.     "  Down  face  "  was 


HOOKAMA  AND  PAAO  SETTLE  A  QUESTION.    341 

all  the  reply  he  gave  to  those  who  pleaded  for 
the  traitor's  life.  In  this,  he  was  seconded  by 
Hookama,  whose  chagrin  at  Paao's  advantage 
over  him,  in  their  hand-to-hand  fight  at  the 
cave,  only  served  to  quicken  his  desire  for 
vengeance ;  he  hoped  that  he  might  never  see 
his  enemy's  face  again  except  as  a  sacrificial 
victim.  He  had  nursed  the  feeling  of  revenge 
till  it  controlled  him  and  drove  out  every  other 
thought  from  his  mind.  Numuku  tried  to 
save  Paao,  but  finally  yielded  to  the  king's 
persistency  and  to  the  counsel  of  the  royal 
chiefs,  who  felt  that  an  example  must  be 
made  to  strike  terror  to  disloyal  hearts. 

At  twilight  of  the  same  day,  the  king  gave 
the  signal  for  the  prisoners  to  be  led  into 
the  heiau.  They  came  with  arms  pinioned 
and  escorted  by  a  guard.  No  warrior  among 
then  showed  signs  of  any  fear  of  death.  They 
carried  themselves  majestically,  as  if  marching 
to  a  triumph. 

After  being  placed  in  a  row,  in  front  of  a 
platform  of  smooth  stones,  on  which  their  life- 
less bodies  were  soon  to  be  laid,  they  were 
taken  out  one  by  one,  to  be  despatched  by 
the  priests.  It  was  a  sacred  offering  to  the 
gods. 

Paao  came  last,  wearing  a  look  of  bravado 
and  with  a  step  which  betokened  a  fearless 


342  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

spirit.  Hookama  turned  his  head  away,  after 
a  hasty  glance  at  his  enemy,  who  returned 
the  look  with  an  expression  of  the  utmost 
scorn. 

Further  details  of  the  barbarous  and  bloody 
rites,  at  the  immolation  of  the  five  young 
chiefs,  need  not  be  given.  The  sixth  victim 
was  Paao.  The  ceremonies  had  been  pro- 
longed, by  a  pretended  necessity  on  the  part 
of  the  priests  to  consult  the  oracles.  The 
tapers  burned  low  in  the  hands  of  the  attend- 
ants. In  a  dim  and  murky  light  befitting 
the  tragedy,  two  naked  priests  bore  the  body 
of  Paao  to  its  place  on  the  blood-stained  plat- 
form and  laid  it  with  the  other  gory  victims. 
The  horrid  marks  of  slaughter  were  on  the 
face  and  shoulders.  The  king  advanced 
alone  and  looked  on  the  man  who  had  kindled 
treason  in  his  realm.  No  remorse  for  the 
traitor's  death  was  felt  in  his  heart.  The  sen- 
tence was  just.  It  was  the  will  of  the  gods. 

During  the  part  of  the  ceremony  which  re- 
lated to  Paao,  Hookama  did  not  look  towards 
the  altar,  where  the  consummation  of  his 
vengeance  was  accomplished.  He  was  satisfied 
because  his  foe  was  dead  and  would  no  more 
"  cross  his  shadow."  Besides,  did  not  Paao, 
as  the  inciter  to  treason,  richly  deserve  his 
fate? 


HOOK  AM  A  AND  PAAO  SETTLE  A  QUESTION.    343 

As  the  king  and  the  chiefs  passed  from  the 
gloom  of  the  heiau,  (leaving  the  bodies  of  the 
slain  on  the  altar  for  the  elements  to  deal  with, 
a  little  earth  having  been  thrown  upon  them,) 
suddenly  there  appeared  showers  of  flashing 
meteors  in  the  sky.  It  was  a  grand  spectacle 
which  some  of  the  warriors  interpreted  as  a 
good  omen.  Numuku,  with  his  usual  grunt, 
said  to  Hookama,  who  happened  to  be  near, 
"Another  blunder  of  the  king.  Another 
chance  lost  to  conciliate  the  rebels.  These 
young  chiefs  ought  to  have  been  spared. 
Now,  many  of  the  old  aliis  will  rise.  Get  ready 
for  another  outbreak,  young  man  !  See,  the 
sky  is  warning  us  !  "  and  he  pointed  to  a  new 
burst  of  stars. 

But  Hookama,  who  might  have  saved  Paao, 
had  he  chosen,  stood  in  gloomy  silence  look- 
ing at  the  brilliant  display,  saying  to  him- 
self, "  These  stupid  warriors !  What  do  they 
know  about  omens  ?  I've  seen  the  sky  like 
this  a  dozen  times  and  nothing  happened. 
Pele  made  a  great  fuss  at  the  volcano,  but 
nothing  came  of  it.  Those  hypocrites,  the 
priests,  make  the  gods  and  give  the  omens. 
These  dull  chiefs  are  gulled  ;  I'd  rather  have 
my  bowlegged  guide  Lou,  than  a  score  of 
them  ;  I  hate  the  priests.  They  tried  to  get 
Paao  off,  the  scoundrel !  They  are  at  the 


344  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

bottom  of  this  conspiracy  too.  If  I  were 
king — ."  He  checked  himself,  as  if  the 
thought  were  an  ignoble  one,  and  the  image  of 
his  friend,  the  king,  prevented  any  further  am- 
bitious dreams. 

"  I  only  wish  he  had  a  little  more  sense, 
with  all  his  amiability,"  was  the  thought  that 
concluded  Hookama's  soliloquy,  as  he  found 
himself  alone  under  the  suddenly  darkened 
sky. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

AN  APPARITION. 

THE  king  of  Oahu  found  that  he  had  stirred 
up  rather  than  put  out  the  spirit  of  rebellion 
by  his  summary  execution  of  the  captured  reb- 
els. He  therefore  determined  to  crush  the 
insubordinate  chiefs  before  they  wholly  under- 
mined his  authority.  He  could  rely  on  a  large 
part  of  the  warriors  that  had  followed  him  to 
Maui,  and  had  fought  with  him  at  Wailuku. 
An  expedition  was  forthwith  planned  against 
several  of  the  disaffected  aliis,  beyond  the  pass, 
which  guarded  the/tf/z  at  the  end  of  Nuuanu 
Valley  about  six  miles  from  the  royal  house  at 
Waikiki. 

The  king  also  despatched  a  messenger,  se- 
cretly, to  the  king  of  Maui,  the  treacherous  Ka- 
hekili,  asking  again  for  reinforcements  ;  a  pro- 
cedure about  which  he  did  not  consult  his  loyal 
chiefs,  not  even  Numuku  or  Hookama. 


346  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Taking  the  field  with  his  army  and  leaving  a 
small  contingent  at  Waikiki,  to  guard  against 
a  hostile  approach  by  sea,  he  made  his  head- 
quarters at  the.  pali,  where  the  valley  abruptly 
terminates  in  a  precipice  falling  sheer  down  a 
thousand  feet ;  a  steep,  rough  path  on  the 
eastern  side  being  the  only  passage  to  the 
plains  where  the  insurrection  had  broken  out. 

This  location  of  the  royal  army's  base  at  the 
pali  gave  Hookama,  who  was  captain  of  the 
king's  bodyguard,  many  opportunities,  in  the 
intervals  of  forays  against  the  rebels,  to  visit 
the  house  on  the  cliff.  It  was  a  hard  climb  up 
from  the  pass  to  the  house,  but  this  meant 
very  little  to  the  ardent  young  husband. 

Nowhere  on  the  island  of  Oahu  do  the 
showers  clothe  the  mountain  slopes  with 
greener  verdure  and  more  luxuriant  growths 
than  in  this  region  of  the  wonderful /#/*'.  The 
water-falls  are  fed  from  the  mountain  peaks 
and  sunclouds  float  gently  away,  "  tears  of  the 
trade-winds,"  to  dissipate  themselves  in  cool- 
ing mists. 

Pu'  Aloha,  now  that  she  no  longer  feared 
pursuit  either  from  Numuku  or  Paao,  was  free 
to  enjoy  the  marvellous  eastward  view  of  the 
sea,  from  the  heights  above  the  house  on  the 
cliff.  She  wandered,  at  her  own  sweet  will, 
among  the  picturesque  dells  that  beautified  the 


AN  APPARITION.  347 


upper  ridges,  although  she  never  strayed  far 
from  the  house.  These  little  hill-valleys  were 
all  the  more  attractive,  lying  as  they  did  be- 
tween rocky  walls  and  impenetrable  thickets. 

Hookama  had  built  a  small  grass  house  for 
his  bride  and  himself  near  the  house  of  the 
"  mother,"  and  although  Pu'  Aloha  missed  the 
companionship  of  Kelea  and  longed  for  her  re- 
turn, she  found  abundant  and  agreeable  occu- 
pation in  simple  household  cares  and  in  gather- 
ing ilima  blossoms  with  which  to  adorn  herself 
to  please  her  lord  when  he  climbed  to  her 
bower.  I  f  ever  savage  lovers  enjoyed  an  idyllic 
honeymoon  under  most  favorable  conditions, 
it  was  beneath  the  spangled  heavens  and  on 
that  fragrant  mountain's  breast,  where  eternal 
summer  dwelt  and  no  conventionalities  marred 
the  golden  hours. 

Love  was  still  hovering  with  its  earliest  and 
sweetest  charms  over  the  happy  pair,  when  one 
day  Hookama  announced  a  distant  expedition 
which  would  occupy  at  least  a  week,  against 
an  insurgent  chief  who  had  entrenched  him- 
self at  Punaluu,  on  the  northeastern  coast.  He 
cautioned  Pu'  Aloha  not  to  extend  her  wander- 
ings far  from  the  cliff,  because  lawless  bands 
were  prowling  about  and  desperadoes  were 
hiding  in  the  mountains.  He  promised  to 
send  Maili,  who  was  in  his  band,  to  assure  her 


348  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

of  his  safety,  as  soon  as  the  chief  of  the  Puna- 
luu  district  was  subdued. 


When  Kelea  disappeared  after  Hookama's 
rescue  of  her  from  the  ledge  and  her  violent 
denunciation  of  his  rejection  of  her  passion, 
she  started  with  a  vague  purpose  of  throwing 
herself  on  the  king's  protection  at  the  royal 
house.  The  information  she  could  give  of  the 
conspirators'  cave  would  make  her  welcome. 
Had  she  not  met  Menehune  and  sent  by  him 
the  warning  to  the  king  she  would  have 
carried  out  her  intention. 

But,  with  that  burden  off  her  mind,  her 
courage  gave  out  when  halfway  down  the 
mountain,  and,  remembering  the  secluded 
house  of  a  native,  who,  with  his  wife,  lived 
back  of  a  spur  of  the  hills,  above  Manoa 
Valley,  she  went  there  and  claimed  hospitality. 
This  was  a  claim  that  no  Hawaiian,  however 
poor,  ever  refused.  In  this  case,  the  aston- 
ished peasants  gladly  welcomed  the  queenly 
woman  who  promised  to  pay  them  liberally 
for  secrecy  and  entertainment. 

They  gave  her  the  whole  of  their  rude  grass 
hut,  which  they  cleaned  up  for  her  use,  and 
made  for  themselves  a  shelter  of  boughs  not 
far  away. 

Kelea  spent   the  first   night   in  this  seques- 


Ati APPARITION.  34$ 


tered  spot  in  alternate  fits  of  hysterical  weeping 
and  passionate  anger.  She  thought  she  hated 
Hookama,  as  she  had  told  him,  but  her  new 
feeling  of  intense  jealousy  toward  Pu'  Aloha 
proved  the  contrary.  It  was  the  lovely,  art- 
less girl  who  had  been  her  closest  friend,  that 
now  became  the  object  of  her  strange,  unjust 
and  unreasoning  aversion.  She  recoiled  from 
no  vindictive  suggestion  of  the  evil  spirit  that 
possessed  her. 

Every  lovely  trait  in  Pu'  Aloha  that  had 
attracted  her — her  artlessness,  her  confiding 
nature,  her  loving  ways — seemed  but  so  many 
artifices  to  win  away  her  lover.  Even  her  con- 
fession of  her  passion  for  Hookama  was  an  ex- 
hibition of  her  selfishness.  Kelea's  vengeful 
feeling  drove  her  hither  and  thither,  from  scorn 
to  pitiless  wrath.  For  days  the  changed  girl 
gratified  her  envy  and  hatred  by  plotting 
ways  and  means  to  outwit  her  rival.  She 
even  went  so  far  as  to  visit  a  Kehuna  to  learn 
if  it  were  possible  to  pray  her  enemy,  as  she 
now  conceived  her,  to  death.  This  was  a  last 
resort  and  sometimes  proved  effective,  the 
victim  yielding  to  his  fate  when  he  learned 
that  he  was  singled  out  by  the  sorcerer. 

Carried  away  by  her  jealousy,  this  surf- 
rider  of  Maui  in  her  frenzy  would  go  after 
dark  to  the  shore  and,  swimming  the  breakers, 


350  KELEA :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

imitate  the  action  in  pantomime  of  smothering 
her  victim  in  the  surge.  She  obtained  the 
powder  of  a  poisonous  herb  and  carried  it 
with  her.  Her  distorted  imagination  caused 
the  gentle  being,  against  whom  her  frenzy 
arrayed  her,  to  appear  in  her  dreams  as  suppli- 
cating for  pardon  which  the  relentless  avenger 
would  not  grant. 

Kelea  rambled  over  the  hills,  half  bereft  of 
reason  ;  she  ventured  to  the  heights  over  the 
house  on  the  cliff  and,  hiding  herself,  watched 
for  Pu'  Aloha  to  come  forth,  that  she  might 
even  take  her  life.  At  lucid  intervals  she  tried 
to  dispossess  herself  of  this  mania,  since  some- 
how she  shrank  from  this  extremity  of  active 
vengeance. 

When  she  thought  of  Hookama's  joy  in  the 
elysium  of  Pu'  Aloha's  smiles,  she  recalled  the 
days  she  had  spent  with  him  in  the  vale  of 
lao  and,  though  many  of  his  words  rankled  in 
her  memory,  she  repeated  them  over  and  over, 
as  one  might  press  sharp  thorns  into  the  flesh 
to  quicken  morbid  sensibilites.  She  treasured 
the  ivory  dagger,  with  its  poisoned  point,  as 
a  souvenir  which  suggested  death  as  a  last  re- 
sort, if  all  her  hopes  should  finally  be  lost. 

A  few  days  after  Hookama's  departure, 
Pu'  Aloha  climbed  the  path  behind  the  cliff, 


AN~  APPARITION:  351 


to  a  spot  a  short  distance  away,  from  which 
she  could  see  the  promontory  of  Kualoa, 
beyond  which  lay  the  district  where  Hookama 
was  fighting  in  the  army  of  the  king.  It  was 
her  habit  to  visit  this  place,  where  she 
dreamed  of  her  husband  and  tried  to  imagine 
his  feats  of  valor. 

On  this  occasion,  she  did  not  rest  her  eyes 
exclusively  on  the  landscape,  which  stretched 
like  an  enchanted  realm  from  the  emerald  sea 
to  the  lofty,  buttressed  hills,  clad  to  their  tops 
in  luxuriant  foliage.  With  a  far-off,  dreamy 
gaze  she  was  looking  at  a  little  fleecy  cloud, 
beyond  the  extreme  point  of  the  marvellous 
scene,  thinking  that  perhaps  it  hung  over  the 
very  spot  where  her  lord  might  be  resting 
after  a  day's  hard  struggle.  She  watched  the 
shadows  as  they  wrapped  a  portion  of  the 
lovely  landscape  in  gloom,  and  was  wholly 
absorbed  in  pleasing  meditation,  so  that  the 
approach  of  a  stranger,  coming  towards  her 
from  behind,  was  unobserved.  It  was  a  man, 
who  had  passed  around  a  heap  of  rocks  at  her 
back  and  now  stood  in  the  deepening  dusk  of 
the  twilight  looking  down  upon  her  and  ap- 
parently waiting  for  her  to  turn  her  head 
towards  him.  As  she  did  not  turn,  he  came 
forward. 

Startled    at     hearing    the    footsteps    of    a 


KELEA: 


stranger,  Pu'  Aloha  sprang  to  her  feet,  and, 
turning  towards  him,  saw,  to  her  amazement 
and  horror,  what  seemed  to  be  an  apparition 
from  the  dead.  Without  a  word,  for  her 
tongue  was  paralyzed,  she  arose  to  flee  by  the 
path,  when  the  figure  darted  forward  and 
caught  her  about  the  waist,  not  roughly  but 
firmly,  and  in  answer  to  the  frightened  expres- 
sion on  her  face,  said  in  gentle  tones  :  "  Yes, 
Pu'  Aloha,  I  am  —  Paao  !  By  no  means  dead  ; 
but  more  alive  than  ever.  The  gods  will  that 
you  shall  yet  be  mine." 

He  said  no  more  :  it  was  useless  to  speak 
further  ;  he  held  a  lifeless  form  in  his  arms, 
which  he  laid  on  the  matted  grass.  Then, 
rushing  to  a  hollow  rock  near  by,  containing 
water,  he  scooped  it  in  his  hands  and  came 
again  where  the  girl  lay  pale  and  motionless 
on  the  ground.  He  had  placed  her  there 
most  tenderly,  for  he  meant  to  do  her  no 
harm.  But  the  motion  of  his  hands  and  arms, 
dashing  the  water  in  her  face,  was  as  if  he  were 
smiting  the  prostrate  girl. 

His  body  was  bent  over  her,  with  his  back 
towards  the  pile  of  rocks,  when  a  slight  noise 
behind  him  caused  him  to  turn  his  head  half- 
way over  his  shoulder.  Before  he  could  see 
clearly  whence  the  sound  came,  or  straighten 
himself  up,  a  strong  hand  seized  him  by  the 


AN  APPARITION. 


neck  and  a  sharp  dagger  was  thrust  with  fear- 
ful force  into  his  side. 

Blood  gushed  in  streams  from  the  wound. 
He  fell  or  was  pushed  over  on  his  side,  as 
Kelea,  for  it  was  she,  quickly  lifted  Pu'  Al- 
oha, who,  witfi  half  recovered  consciousness, 
opened  her  eyes  upon  the  ghastly  sight. 
There  lay  Paao  on  the  ground,  weltering  in 
his  blood,  the  dagger  still  in  the  wound. 

With  life  fast  ebbing,  the  dying  man,  by 
a  great  effort,  raised  himself  a  little  and 
turned  his  glazing  eyes,  first  on  Kelea  with  a 
look  of  utter  astonishment  (for  he  had  not 
known  of  her  presence  on  the  island),  then 
on  Pu'  Aloha,  who  covered  her  face  with  her 
tapa,  while  he  tried  to  gasp  a  few  words : 
"  Ah,  Flower  of  Love !  I  go  to  the  gods, 
hated  by  you  whom  I  have  loved — yes — as 
my  own  soul — loved — I  meant  no  harm  " — and 
as  his  eyes  fell  on  Kelea,  he  muttered,  "  Mur- 
deress ! " 

Then,  pulling  out  from  his  side  the  dagger 
which  he  knew  was  poisoned,  he  made  one 
more  attempt  to  speak,  and  said :  "  I  meant 
that"  feebly  lifting  the  weapon  in  his  hand, 
"  for  the  butcher — assassin — may  the  gods — " 
but  he  could  only  whisper  the  word  "  Hoo- 
kama,"  as  he  fell  back  dead,  with  a  look  of  in- 
tense contempt  on  his  face  which  the  last 


354  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RTDER. 

agonies  of  death  did  not  remove.  He  was 
gone,  but  his  dying  words  called  for  no  pity. 
The  dead  face  awakened  no  regret  for  his 
fate. 

Kelea's  strength  almost  failed  her,  but  she 
was  able  to  lift  Pu'  Aloha,  who  was  overcome 
by  the  tragic  scene  and  too  weak  to  rise. 
With  great  effort  she  carried  the  terrified  and 
helpless  girl  to  a  mossy  bank  away  from  the 
ghastly  spot,  and  tired  to  calm  her  by  sooth- 
ing words,  although  she  herself  was  distracted 
by  contending  emotions,  now  that  the  deed 
was  done. 

She  had  set  out  that  day  from  her  temporary 
home  near  Manoa  Valley  with  the  terrible  de- 
sign to  confront  Pu'  Aloha,  whose  habit  of 
coming  to  her  favorite  lookout  she  had  dis- 
covered after  many  days  of  espionage.  If  her 
rival  refused  to  surrender  her  lover,  for  Kelea 
did  not  know  of  their  marriage,  she  cared  not 
what  happened  ;  but  an  evil  voice  in  her  heart 
cried,  "  Kill  her ! "  and  she  might  not  have  been 
able  to  resist  it.  She  was  impelled  along  this 
course  of  action,  whatever  the  result. 

Coming  stealthily  in  sight  of  the  spot  where 
she  expected  to  behold  the  rapt  face  of  the 
girl,  looking  expectantly  and  longingly  towards 
Kualoa,  as  she  had  seen  it  on  two  previous 
days  from  her  place  of  concealment,  to  her 


AN  APPARITION.  355 

amazement  she  saw  a  man  hanging  over  the 
prostrate  body  of  her  rival  as  if  he  had  slain 
her. 

The  sight  of  the  apparently  lifeless  form  of 
one  who  had  been  so  dear  to  her  wrought  an 
instantaneous  change  in  her  over-charged 
mind.  The  dead  girl  could  no  longer  stand  in 
her  way.  That  was  her  first  thought.  Then 
followed  the  old  feeling  of  endearment.  To 
punish  the  murderer  she  rushed  upon  him  and 
struck  the  fatal  blow,  not  knowing,  till  the 
stroke  was  given,  that  the  supposed  assailant 
was  her  old  enemy  Paao. 

With  the  warm  body  of  Pu'  Aloha  in  her 
arms  all  her  love  came  back.  As  the  rescued 
girl  called  her  "  dear  "  and  "  my  own  Kelea," 
she  could  not  repress  tears  of  gratitude  that 
she  was  safe.  But  near  by  lay  the  dead  Paao. 
What  was  now  to  be  done  ?  His  own  dagger 
in  his  hand,  and  his  death-wound  on  the  left 
side  made  suicide  the  natural  theory  if  his 
body  were  found.  Besides,  was  he  not  sup- 
posed to  be  sacrificed  in  the  heiau  ?  How  did 
he  appear  alive  after  his  body  had  been  laid  on 
the  altar  ? 

The  poor  girl  in  her  arms  could  give  Kelea 
no  advice  ;  she  could  not  even  tell  her  yet  the 
circumstances  attending  the  assault  upon  her  of 
Paao,  if  assault  it  was.  Kelea's  quick  wit  seized 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


at  once  upon  the  idea  that  if  Paao  were  con- 
sidered by  the  world  as  a  dead  man,  why  not 
bury  him,  and  so  blot  out  his  memory  forever  ? 
But  who  will  undertake  the  task  ?  She  can- 
not do  it.  Her  heart  revolted  at  the  thought 
of  ever  looking  on  that  hateful  face  again. 

All  her  questionings  and  plans  were  put  to 
flight,  when  her  ear  caught  the  sound  of 
hurried  steps,  climbing  over  the  rocks.  The 
heads,  and  soon  the  stalwart  shoulders,  of  Maili 
and  Menehune  appeared  behind  a  slight  ridge 
which  separated  from  the.  path  the  spot  where 
the  two  girls  were  sitting.  If  Kelea  allowed 
them  to  go  on  and  find  the  body  of  Paao,  she 
and  Pu'  Aloha  might  slip  down  to  the  house 
unobserved.  Then  the  evidence  of  suicide 
would  shield  them  from  all  suspicion.  She 
must  decide  at  once  ;  but  with  her  usual  quick- 
ness, she  determined  to  call  them  and  tell  them 
the  whole  story. 

The  men  listened  in  utter  astonishment  and 
remained  as  if  paralyzed  at  the  end  of  the  re- 
cital. Kelea  bade  them  go  and  see  for  them- 
selves. They  hesitated,  and  it  required  all 
her  persuasiveness  to  induce  them  to  approach 
the  man  who  had  been  twice  killed.  He 
might  be  alive  again,  for  all  they  knew  to  the 
contrary. 

At  last,   having  seen  and   been  convinced, 


AN  APPARITION.  357 


they  returned,  and  Kelea,  swearing  them  to 
secrecy  by  all  the  gods,  induced  them  to  carry 
the  body  to  the  bottom  of  a  lonely  ravine, 
through  which  a  circuitous  stream  ran  with 
abundant  water  ;  there  they  would  find  a  deep 
pool,  in  which  to  sink  their  burden,  weighted 
with  stones.  Then  they  must  roll  all  the 
loose  rocks  they  could  handle  into  the  pool 
and  let  the  traitor  find  his  way  as  best  he  could 
to  the  hidden  land  of  Kane. 

Maili  told  Pu'  Aloha  that  Hookama  had 
sent  him  with  the  message  that  a  battle,  favor- 
able in  its  result  to  the  king,  had  been  fought 
and  that  he  would  be  at  the  house  on  the 
cliff  the  next  day.  "  Then  be  in  haste,"  said 
Kelea  to  the  two  men ;  for  with  an  instinctive 
desire  to  save  Hookama's  feelings,  she  wanted 
to  relieve  him  forever  from  the  sight  of  his 
hated  foe. 

The  men  found  the  dark  pool,  underneath  a 
shelving  rock.  It  was  almost  stagnant  and  a 
green  scum  had  settled  on  its  surface.  In  the 
dim  light,  they  flung  the  body  in,  then  dropped 
into  the  circling  ripples  the  largest  stones 
they  could  move,  and,  having  finished  their 
disagreeable  task,  the  two  nervous  function- 
aries lost  no  time  in  climbing  out  of  the  gulch 
into  the  more  wholesome  air  of  the  heights. 

"  Say,  comrade,"  asked  Maili  of  Menehune, 


358  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

"  if  Paao  cheated  the  gods  in  the  heiau,  will 
they  let  him  into  Milu  ?  " 

"  He'll  have  to  '  swim  round  the  cliff  '  *  if 
they  do  ;  "  grunted  the  dwarf  in  his  usual 
laconic  style." 

"  Or  find  a  new  '  gap  in  the  ridge  down- 
wards/ "  *  added  Maili,  as  he  thought  of  the 
stones  they  had  tumbled  into  the  pool.  "  I 
wish  I  had  kept  that  dagger,"  he  murmured 
to  himself.  "  Perhaps  the  rascal  will  fight  his 
way  out  again.  I  wonder  how  many  lives  he's 
got." 

It  was  discovered,  a  long  time  after  Paao's 
final  disappearance,  that  he  escaped  from  the 
heiau  by  the  connivance  of  the  priests,  who 
smeared  his  face  and  shoulders  with  blood  in- 
stead of  slaying  him,  and  handed  the  eye  of  a 
large  hog  to  the  king,  instead  of  the  left  eye 
of  the  supposed  victim.  Then,  after  the  de- 
parture of  the  chiefs,  they  put  another  body 
in  Paao's  place  on  the  platform  and  covered 
the  six  corpses  with  loose  earth.  There  was 
no  careful  scrutiny  after  the  execution  of  vic- 
tims and  few  entered  the  heiau  for  many  days, 
so  foul  were  the  odors. 

Paao  was  advised  by  the  insurgent  chiefs, 
whom  he  joined  the  morning  after  his  escape, 
to  remain  in  hiding  for  the  present,  lest  his 
*  Hawaiian  expressions. 


AN  APPARITION.  359 


appearance  in  the  rebel  army  should  bring  the 
priests  under  suspicion.  He  was  roaming 
over  the  mountain,  when  he  chanced  to  dis- 
cover Pu'  Aloha,  and  his  passion  for  her 
brought  him  to  a  tragic  end.  The  tarn  into 
which  his  body  was  thrown  is  called  pepo-loko 
(black  pool)  to  this  day. 

When  Maili  and  Menehune  returned  to  the 
place,  where  Kelea  was  trying  to  arouse  Pu' 
Aloha  from  her  prostration,  they  found  the 
latter  in  a  state  bordering  on  hysteria.  And 
even  Kelea's  strong  nerves  were  giving  way, 
but  the  change  from  her  period  of  jealous 
frenzy  to  her  old  affection  for  Pu'  Alcha 
buoyed  her  up. 

Maili  attributed  Pu'  Aloha's  condition  to 
the  ghost  of  Paao,  which  he  believed  still 
hovered  near,  according  to  the  current  super- 
stition of  the  Hawaiians.  He  imagined  that 
he  heard  the  peculiar  sound  (muki),  which  a 
ghost  produced,  till  after  a  time  it  ceased 
altogether.  He  had  recognized  in  Kelea  the 
woman  who  gave  him  the  shells  on  the  island 
of  Maui,  and  his  admiration  for  her  robust 
beauty  made  him  her  willing  servant.  Mene- 
hune, however,  hardly  realized  the  gravity  of 
the  situation.  His  eyes  twinkled  as  he  chuck- 
led to  himself  and  thought  of  the  dark  pool. 

But  night  was  approaching,  and  at   Kelea's 


360  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

bidding  Menehune  took  Pu'  Aloha  in  his  arms 
and  carried  her  to  her  house.  Kelea  hesitated 
a  moment  but  soon  followed,  with  Maili,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  she  and  Pu'  Aloha 
sought  relief  in  each  other's  arms  on  the  same 
couch. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

HOOKAMA  DISCOVERS  HIS  ANCESTORS. 

THE  next  morning,  Pu'  Aloha,  prostrated 
by  the  tragic  events  of  the  previous  day,  could 
hardly  lift  her  head.  Kelea,  suffering  more  in 
mind  than  body,  was  glad  of  the  necessity  of 
silence,  since  it  relieved  her  from  unpleasant 
questions.  She  noticed  the  signs  in  Pu'  Al- 
oha's new  home  of  her  changed  relations  with 
Hookama,  but  was  able  to  suppress  all  jealous 
emotions.  She  determined,  however,  not  to 
meet  them  together  lest  the  old  feelings 
should  return. 

Maili,  who  announced  that  Hookama  would 
arrive  early  in  the  afternoon  told  the  young 
women,  who  were  lying  on  soft  mats  in  the 
lanai,  that  there  had  been  a  fight  near  Punaluu, 
in  which  the  rebels  were  defeated. 

They  paid  little  attention  to  his  account 
of  the  battle,  but  when  he  narrated  Hook- 


362  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

ama's  part  in  it,  both  the  girls  sat  up  and 
listened  with  eagerness.  He  said  the  young 
alii  had  shown  the  greatest  bravery.  To- 
wards the  end  of  a  bloody  skirmish,  the  king, 
advancing  at  the  head  of  his  bodyguard,  threw 
himself  upon  a  band  of  warriors  entrenched  in 
a  defile.  The  assault  was  furious  but  the  de- 
fence was  equally  desperate.  The  king  was  in 
the  midst  of  the  foemen,  swinging  his  power- 
ful battle-axe,  when  a  chief  sprang  forward 
and  made  a  thrust  with  a  spear  which  would 
have  put  an  end  to  the  king's  career,  had  not 
Hookama  parried  the  blow,  receiving  a  severe 
flesh  wound  in  his  left  arm.  At  the  mention 
of  the  wound  Pu'  Aloha  turned  pale  as  death, 
but  recovered  when  Maili  assured  her  that  it 
was  a  more  painful  than  dangerous  one. 

Continuing,  the  warrior  said  that  the  alii, 
with  his  right  hand,  killed  the  assailant  with 
a  dagger  and  then  led  the  attack  which  put 
the  enemy  to  flight.  An  armistice  had  been 
agreed  upon  when  Maili  left  the  camp,  and  he 
thought  there  would  be  no  more  trouble  with 
the  rebels  after  such  a  defeat  as  they  had  met. 

Pu'  Aloha  rallied  a  little,  as  she  thought  of 
the  prowess  of  her  lord,  but  she  was  too  lan- 
guid to  notice  the  expression  of  Kelea's  coun- 
tenance which  would  have  revealed  to  a  more 
suspicious  and  more  alert  mind  at  least  some 


HOOK  AM  A  DISCOVERS  HIS  ANCESTORS.     363 

hint  of  ardent  tenderness  and  admiration  for 
the  hero. 

Kelea  watched  the  face  of  Pu'  Aloha  and 
was  surprised  at  herself  that  all  her  own 
jealousy  had  disappeared.  The  younger  girl's 
look  was  so  ingenuous  and  she  gave  her  every 
now  and  then  such  affectionate  glances  that 
Kelea's  only  wonder  was  that  she  had  ever 
harbored  any  thought  of  her  insincerity. 
Once  when  Pu'  Aloha  threw  her  arms  around 
her  friend  and  said  :  "  My  darling,  I  owe  my 
life  to  you ;  I  only  wish  you  could  be  as 
happy  as  I  am  with  my  lord,"  Kelea's  emo- 
tions so  overcame  her  that  Pu'  Aloha  again 
embraced  her,  exclaiming,  "  But  you  shall 
have  nothing  save  aloha  from  me  as  long  as 
you  live,  and  I  will  make  Hookama  love  you 
too."  Kelea  buried  her  face  in  the  bosom 
of  the  affectionate  girl  and  vowed  to  herself 
that  she  should  never  know  what  had  passed 
between  her  and  the  man  whose  whole  heart 
her  friend  most  certainly  possessed. 

"  Believe  me,"  continued  Pu'  Aloha,  "  I  only 
wish  two  women  could  drink  at  the  same 
fountain — but  in  such  matters  you  know  this 
is  impossible."  Kelea  knew  this  too  well,  and 
from  any  other  lips  the  words  would  have  been 
like  a  stab  in  her  heart.  But  she  found,  as  the 
sun  approached  the  zenith,  that  she  could  not 


364  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

meet  Hookama  in  her  present  state  of  mind. 
Therefore  excusing  her  hasty  departure  to  Pu' 
Aloha,  by  saying  that  she  had  left  an  important 
matter  to  be  attended  to  at  a  friend's  where  she 
had  been  visiting,  she  slipped  away  to  the  hut 
over  Manoa  Valley ;  and  she  went  none  too 
soon,  for  passing  beyond  a  place  where  two 
paths  met,  she  saw  Hookama  going  up  and 
barely  escaped  his  notice. 

Great  was  Pu' Aloha's  joy  when  her  lord 
appeared.  He  was  clad  in  magnificent  array. 
A  superb  yellow  cloak  of  priceless  feathers 
reached  to  his  knees ;  on  his  head  was  a  lofty 
scarlet  helmet ;  he  held  in  his  hand  a  richly 
carved  spear  and  a  dazzling  malo  was  wound 
about  his  loins.  He  approached  in  very  grand 
style,  carrying  himself  majestically,  but  hav- 
ing a  quizzical  look  on  his  face,  as  if  to  say  : 
"  Look  at  me !  Did  you  ever  see  such  a  fine 
sight  ?  "  Pu'  Aloha,  weak  as  she  was,  started  to 
meet  him,  only  to  be  met  by  the  point  of  his 
spear,  levelled  at  her  bosom. 

"  Keep  off,"  he  cried,  as  if  in  mockery,  but, 
seeing  her  pallor,  he  threw  back  his  cloak  and 
showed  his  bandaged  arm  and  other  marks  of 
wounds  on  his  breast. 

She  came  close  to  him  full  of  sympathy  and 
as  he  bent  down  she  put  her  cheek  to  his  and 
clung  to  him,  partly  for  support  and  partly 


HOOKAMA  DISCOVERS  HIS  ANCESTORS.     365 

because  of  her  anxiety  on  account  of  his 
wounds.  With  his  unwounded  arm  about  her, 
he  replied  to  her  tender  inquiries,  "  Scratches, 
only  skin-deep.  How  could  I  have  marched 
all  day,  if  they  amounted  to  anything  more  ? 
But,  dear  one.  why  so  pale  ?  Surely  you  are 
ill.  What  has  befallen  you?  What  has 
happened  ?  You  do  not  look  like  yourself. 
Tell  me  !  you  are  as  white  as  a  sea-bird." 

She  led  Hookama  to  a  grassy  mound  and 
gave  him  a  brief  account  of  the  tragedy  of  the 
preceding  day,  dwelling  in  glowing  words  on 
the  defence  of  her  honor  by  Kelea  and  the 
death  of  Paao  at  her  hand.  He  tried  to  rise 
when  she  came  to  the  point  where  Paao  called 
Kelea  "murderess"  and  Hookama  an  "assas- 
sin ; "  but  she  detained  him  and  nestled  closer 
to  his  side,  as  he  contented  himself  with  heap- 
ing imprecations  on  the  traitor  and  uttering 
words  of  praise  for  the  brave  girl  who  had 
saved  his  darling's  life,  as  he  supposed. 

Pu'  Aloha's  heart  beat  with  emotion  as  he 
warmly  commended  Kelea's  courage,  and  the 
excitement  kept  the  maiden  for  a  time  from 
sinking  back  into  the  languor  which  had  op- 
pressed her.  Hookama  saw  that  she  was  be- 
coming exhausted ;  pleading,  therefore,  his 
own  weariness  from  the  long  march,  he  drew 
her  towards  the  house  and  made  her  recline 


366  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

on  the  mats,  saying  that  he  too  had  a  tale  to 
tell  that  would  cheer  her  up. 

Laying  aside  his  helmet  and  cloak,  he  told 
her  that  they  were  the  trophies  which  he  had 
taken  from  a  rebel  chief  whom  he  had  slain  in 
battle.  "A  regular  alii-kapu  (sacred  chief,)" 
he  declared. 

"  Don't  think  for  a  moment,"  he  continued 
in  a  bantering  tone,  "  that  I  have  worn  that 
bushy  wig  all  day  in  the  hot  sun.  Oh  no ! 
but  my  troop,  that  came  with  me  and  are  gone 
down  to  the  camp  at  Waikiki,  insisted  on  my 
appearing  before  my  '  aloha  '  in  a  style  befit- 
ting my  new  rank.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  know 
what  it  is,  and  what  my  new  name  is  ?  Foolish 
girl !  you  would  like  to  see  me  a  real  alii-kapu, 
wouldn't  you  ?  Well,  lean  on  me  and  I  will 
tell  you  something  that  will  drive  away  all 
thoughts  of  the  horrid  day  you  have  had." 

Then,  to  cheer  her  up,  he  told  her  a  surpris- 
ing story,  which  seemed  more  like  a  dream 
than  a  reality.  He  spoke  rather  facetiously  and 
made  fun  of  the  whole  thing,  so  that,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  trophies,  the  helmet,  spear, 
cloak  and  a  rich  ivory  hook,  worn  only  by  the 
highest  chiefs  and  which  Pu'  Aloha  discovered 
hanging  to  his  neck,  she  would  not  have  be- 
lieved a  word  he  said. 

"  Well,  you  see,"  he  began,  squeezing   Pu' 


HOOK  AM  A  DISCOVERS  HIS  ANCESTORS.     367 

Aloha's  hand  in  his  own,  "you,  sweetheart, 
have  always  made  me  think  that  I  am  an  un- 
common personage.  Then,  that  old,  wizened, 
dried-up  specimen  of  a  king  at  Hawaii  told  me 
that  I  was  the  '  son  of  a  god.'  The  hag  at  the 
volcano,  priestess  of  Pele,  fell  down  at  my 
feet  and  worshipped  me,  followed  by  Lou,  the 
apostate,  who  never  before  worshipped  any- 
thing but  his  own  paunch.  After  all  that,  and 
even  from  our  first  acquaintance,  our  king 
intimated  to  me  several  times,  that  I  was  the 
limb  of  a  big  tree,  (on  which  I  suppose  many 
of  my  ancestors  were  hung  by  the  heels)  ;  and 
he  as  much  as  told  me  that  the  natives  would 
want  my  bones  to  make  fish-hooks  and  spear- 
heads, after  I  was  dead,  as  you  know  they 
make  them  for  luck  from  the  relics  of  high 
chiefs. 

"  Then,  think  of  his  telling  me  in  a  private 
talk  one  day,  that  if  I  had  my  rights  I  would 
own  a  whole  island  ;  (I  supposed  he  meant 
Molokini,  that  nasty  little  rock,  off  Maui). 
Another  time,  (I  thought  he  was  losing  his 
mind),  he  wanted  to  change  malos  with  me, 
which  you  know  means  a  great  mark  of 
esteem.  Once  again  when  we  were  talking  of 
the  Kiha  Pu,  the  magic  shell  which  could  call 
up  the  genii,  he  said,  *  Why  don't  you  blow 
it?'  I  replied,  '  Why  don't  you?"  to  which 
he  answered  '  I  cannot,  though  you  can.' 


KELEA  ;  THE  SVRF-RlDER. 


11  But  the  queerest  thing  of  all  was  the  day 
before  yesterday.  After  I  had  got  this  cut  on 
my  arm, — it  twinges  now, — the  king  took  me 
to  his  hale,  the  best  one  at  Punaluu,  once 
the  home  of  the  chief  whose  sacred  helmet 
you  have  just  touched  with  profane  hands, 
and  whose  spirit  I  sent  to  Milu  along  with 
several  other  noble  rebels. 

"  When  we  were  comfortably  settled  on  the 
luxurious  dead  chief's  best  mats,  what  did 
Kahahana  do  but  call  in  an  old,  grisly  kilo 
(prophet  or  bard,)  who  wanted  to  chant  a 
mele\  I  supposed  to  help  us  go  to  sleep  after 
the  fighting  of  the  day.  I  said,  '  If  he  wants 
to  chant,  let  him  chant ! '  and  so  he  began  in 
a  droning,  monotonous  way  ;  soon  he  got 
excited  and  screamed  so  loud  that  I  couldn't 
sleep  if  I  wanted  to.  Then  he  wound  up, 
after  a  long  list  of  names,  which  bored  me  to 
listen  to,  with  a  perfect  screech  as  he  called 
out  '  Hookamalii,'  and  rushed  up  to  me,  fling- 
ing himself  down  and  kissing  my  feet. 

"  I  had  half  a  mind  to  kick  the  fellow,  but  he 
was  an  old  man  and  my  feet  were  bare,  so  I 
turned  to  the  king  and  said,  '  My  alii,  what's 
this  man  doing  and  what  does  he  want,  any- 
way ?  '  To  my  surprise  the  king  replied,  *  He 
has  been  singing  your  mele  (pedigree  ;)  didn't 
you  understand  it  ?  He  says  the  gods  sent 


HOOK  AM  A  DISCOVERS  HIS  ANCESTORS.     369 

him  to  another  old  bard  on  Kauai  who  taught 
him  this  mele,  and  he  has  been  searching  for 
you,  all  over  the  group.'  '  Then  he  lies,'  I  said 
to  the  king.  '  Yes,  he  does,  in  part,  for  /found 
your  mele  (pedigree)  with  the  inoa  (symbol  of 
rank)  ;  and  why  he  claims  to  have  discovered  it 
let  him  answer.' 

"  The  miserable  kilo  confessed  that  he  did 
not  find  it  as  described,  but  declared  that  bards 
always  pretended  to  find  such  things,  and,  at  all 
events,  the  pedigree  was  true.  Then  I  asked 
him  to  chant  it  again  and  let  me  learn  it.  Per- 
haps there  was  something  in  it  my  wahine 
(wife)  would  like  to  hear. 

"  He  was  very  ready  to  go  over  the  whole 
thing  again,  and  this  time  I  listened.  It  be- 
gan : — 

"  '  He  eleele  kit  na  Maui, 

Kii  aku  ia  Kane  ma,'.  * 

but  I'll  not  bother  you  with  it  all.  The  gist  of 
it  was  that  many  generations  ago,  there  came 
to  the  island  of  Kauai  a  big  chief,  Moikeha. 
Well,  this  big  fellow  was  the  earliest  an- 
cestor of  whom  anything  is  known,  of  a  bird- 
catcher  called  Hookama." 

Hookama  drew  Pu'  Aloha  nearer  to  him 
with  his  right  arm  and  went  on  with  his  story. 

*A  messenger  sent  by  Maui,  to  bring, 
To  bring  Kane  and  his  company. 


370  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

11  Now,  I'll  tell  you  a  bigger  '  brownie '  tale 
than  that.  This  famous  chief  had  three  sons 
and  one  foster  .son.  The  eldest  son's  name 
was  Hookamalii !  That  is  where  my  name 
came  from,  so  said  the  king,  and  I  am  not  an 
4  adopted  '  at  all.  lam  Hookamalii!  That's 
my  real  name  and  I  am  the  last  lineal  descen- 
dant of  old  Moikeha  and  the  rightful  heir  to 
half  the  island  of  Kauai. 

"Tumble  down  now,  all  ye  natives,  and 
make  obeisance  to  my  conspicuous  figure ! 
Put  my  helmet  on  that  rock  yonder  and  salute 
it !  His  motship  feels  too  stiff  to  be  getting 
up  to  be  worshipped  just  now." 

Hookama  gave  Pu'  Aloha  a  squeeze  as  he 
proceeded.  "  And  did  not  the  great  grand- 
daughter of  Hookamalii,  my  progenitor,  the 
beautiful  Maele,  start  the  Kalona  line  on  Oahu, 
by  giving  her  husband  another  of  my  respected 
ancestors, — whom  may  the  gods  preserve! 
— and  allow  me  in  a  similar  fashion  to  see  my 
honored  line  continued  !  " 

"  Why  are  you  not  king  of  Kauai,  then  ?  " 
asked  Pu'  Aloha,  with  a  sly  glance  at  Hook- 
ama. 

"  Didn't  I  say,  you  ambitious  woman,  that 
you  would  be  content  with  nothing  short  of 
royalty?  But  you  cannot  be  gratified  this 
time,  for  the  second  son  of  old  Moikeha  be- 


THE  POOL  OF  KAPENA 


HOOKAMA  DISCOVERS  HIS  ANCESTORS.     371 

came  king  of  Kauai  somehow,  and  the  motship 
has  descended  in  that  line  to  this  day. 
Isn't  it  enough  to  own  half  an  island,  without 
the  bother  of  a  throne  ?  Look  at  Kahahana  ! 
who  would  want  to  be  in  his  place  ?  " 

Pu'  Aloha's  eyes  glistened  as  Hookama 
clasped  her  to  his  breast  and  said,  "  But  you 
are  my  Love-Queen  any  way,  and  what  more 
do  you  want.  King  or  no  king,  I  warn  all 
persons  not  to  invade  your  kingdom  in  my 
heart — and — "  (playfully)  "  I  warn  you,  too,  if 
you  do  not  pay  due  respect  to  my  magnifi- 
cence, I'll — but  who  is  that  ?  " 

Both  called  out  in  the  same  breath.  "  It's 
Kelea !  "  as,  at  that  moment,  the  girl  came, 
in  breathless  haste,  around  the  point  of  the 
ledge  and,  with  somewhat  of  confusion  in  her 
manner,  which  Pu'  Aloha  attributed  to  her 
hurried  climb  up  the  mountain,  gave  Hook- 
ama the  startling  news  that  a  fleet  of  canoes 
was  between  Koko  Head  and  Leahi  apparently 
steering  with  all  speed  to  Waikiki. 

"  They  are  warriors,  and  the  chief  at  the 
royal  house  says  they  are  rebels.  They  yell 
as  if  coming  to  attack,  and  the  chief  wants  you 
to  make  all  haste  and  take  command.  Your 
troop  wants  you  and  there  are  only  fifty  war- 
riors at  the  camp.  The  canoes  are  full ;  at 
least  a  hundred  men.  I  met  the  messenger 


372  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

and  ran  ahead  of  him,  thinking  Pu'  Aloha 
might  want  me  to  stay  with  her  while  you 
were  gone,"  and  Kelea  sank  down  exhausted, 
with  her  eyes  on  the  ground. 

Hookama  advanced  towards  her  and  took 
both  her  hands.  The  girl  blushed  deeply 
when  he  praised  her  for  her  rescue  of  Pu' 
Aloha,  and  thanked  her  for  coming  with  the 
news  of  the  fleet.  Before  he  finished  speaking 
the  messenger  appeared  and  corroborated 
Kelea's  message,  also  relieving  her  from  her 
confusion  and  the  necessity  of  replying  to 
Hookama's  kind  words  ;  for  instantly  Pu' 
Aloha,  with  the  spirit  of  a  heroine,  rose  up  and 
exclaimed,  addressing  her  lord,  "  Go,  go  at 
once  !  A  warrior  can  use  his  spear  with  one 
hand  free.  It  tears  out  my  heart,  Alii-nui, 
but  the  gods  will  give  you  the  victory." 

The  poor  child  nearly  fell  while  uttering 
these  brave  words,  but,  clinging  to  Hookama, 
she  added  :  "  What  is  your  half  of  an  island, 
if  you  cannot  defend  a  whole  one  with  fifty 
men  against  a  hundred  rebels  !  But  promise 
me  to  take  care  of  yourself,"  (the  woman's  in- 
stinct got  the  better  of  her  courage  for  a  mo- 
ment). "  The  spears  of  rebels  are  long,  and 
they  have  two  hands  to  wield  them.  Only 
promise  me  this,  and  go." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  alii,  as  he  clasped  her 


HOOKAMA  DISCOVERS  HIS  ANCESTORS.     373 

to  his  heart,  and  calling  for  food  and  a  gourd 
of  awa  for  the  messenger,  he  forgot  his  own 
need  till  Kelea  brought  him  a  portion  also. 
As  she  handed  it  to  him  she  said  in  a  low 
voice,  "  Thank  you  for  all  your  kind  words. 
My  life  for  yours  if  needed.  Let  the  mes- 
senger carry  your  spear  and  cloak." 

The  last  words  were  spoken  in  a  louder  tone 
and  the  man  took  the  weapon  and  garment, 
giving  a  look  of  admiration  at  the  handsome 
woman  as  he  exclaimed  :  "  I  too  will  guard 
the  alii  with  my  life."  He  had  overheard  her 
whispered  words,  and  was  rewarded  for  his 
loyalty  with  Kelea's  most  grateful  look. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

SURF-RIDING   AT   ITS   CULMINATION. 

No  sooner  were  Hookama  and  the  mes- 
senger out  of  sight  than  Pu'  Aloha,  having  al- 
ready coaxed  her  languid  pulses  to  their  ut- 
most limit,  fell  face  downward  into  the  spring- 
ing grass,  murmuring  in  an  agony,  "  He  must 
not  die  ;  he  must  not  die  !  "  She  shed  no  tears, 
but  a  shiver  ran  through  her  frame  as  Kelea 
and  the  "  mother  "  tenderly  lifted  and  carried 
her  into  the  house. 

They  rubbed  her  limbs  gently  and  bathed 
her  forehead,  but  it  seemed  almost  as  if  she 
were  slipping  away  from  them  into  the  dark- 
ness. Incoherent  utterances  came  feebly  from 
her  lips.  "  My  love !  my  alii  \  I  flung  him  off 
— wounded.  Oh !  the  black  tapa ;  Aohe ! 
aohe  !  "  and  the  poor  child  tried  to  rise  from 
her  couch,  grasping  at  something  with  her 
hands,  but  only  clutching  the  air. 


SURF-RIDING  A  T  ITS  CULMINA  TION.        37  5 

Applying  every  known  restorative,  the  wo- 
men, piteously  weeping,  saw  a  mystic  beauty 
all  at  once  stealing  over  the  sufferer's  face,  as 
she  opened  her  eyes  and  noticed  them  bend- 
ing over  her.  For  the  first  time  since  Hook- 
ama's  departure,  breathing  naturally,  she 
reached  out  her  arms  and  drew  Kelea  close  to 
her,  saying  in  a  most  rational  voice,  "  Dear ! 
you  must  go  and  watch  over  him  ;  I  have  had 
a  vision.  A  shower  of  javelins  like  rain,  but 
you  hid  him  in  a  cloud.  Give  me  only  one 
clasp  of  your  strong  arms,  that  I  may  feel 
your  strength.  If  I  only  were  able  ! — but  you 
can  do  it.  Don't  wait.  The  '  mother '  will 
care  for  me.  I  am  better  now."  Seeing  hes- 
itation on  Kelea's  face,  she  added,  "  If  you  do 
not  go,  I  must.  I  cannot  stay,  after  the 
dream  !  You  or  I — now,  dear  !  " 

The  mutual  embrace  was  given  and  Kelea, 
who  had  longed  to  go  before  Pu'  Aloha  spoke 
of  it,  hurried  away,  after  a  loving  look  and 
the  cheery  words,  "  I'll  bring  the  color  to 
your  cheek,  darling,  when  I  bring  back  your 
Hookama." 

From  a  high  rock  in  the  Manoa  Valley 
Kelea  saw  a  sight  that  would  cause  a  less 
courageous  woman  to  tremble  with  fear, 
but  careless  of  self,  she  studied  the  situation. 
Behind  a  parapet  of  loose  stones  in  front  of 


376  KELEA  :    THE  SURF-RIDER. 

the  royal  house,  two  score  of  warriors  stood 
at  bay  ;  on  the  right  was  a  large  fish  pond 
protecting  that  side ;  on  the  left,  a  thick 
undergrowth. 

The  conflict  was  raging  at  the  wall ;  the 
assailing  warriors  were  leaping  upon  it  only 
to  disappear,  falling  inside  or  flung  back  by 
the  defenders.  Some  bodies,  wounded  or 
dead,  were  lying  within  the  barricade  and  a 
larger  number  were  stretched  outside  on  the 
ground.  There  were  desperate  rushes  from 
without  and  fierce  resistance  from  within. 
Kelea  saw  one  man,  standing  in  the  rear  of 
the  defenders,  as  if  directing  their  movements. 
He  was  the  only  warrior  wearing  a  helmet, 
and  a  scarlet  coat  was  wound  about  one  of  his 
arms.  Every  now  and  then  he  advanced  and 
hurled  a  javelin,  as  a  foeman  tried  to  scale 
the  wall.  When,  by  numbers,  the  enemy 
gained  an  apparent  advantage,  this  chief f 
whom  Kelea  at  once  recognized  as  Hookama, 
was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight. 

Kelea's  first  impulse  was  to  rush  towards 
the  combatants  and  do  what  she  could  to 
shield  Hookama,  remembering  Pu'  Aloha's 
words.  But  she  saw  no  women  there  and 
shrank  from  the  conspicuous  position  of  a 
solitary  woman  among  the  warriors. 

Again  her  eye  ranged  over  the  whole  scene, 


SURF-RIDING  A  T  ITS  CULMINA  TION.        377 

taking  a  bird's-eye  view  of  land  and  sea. 
The  royal  house,  the  struggle  in  front  of  it, 
the  dry  plain  to  the  beach,  a  line  of  tall  cocoa- 
palms  along  the  shore,  the  white  beach  with 
the  canoes  of  the  rebels  drawn  up  on  the  sand. 
Beyond,  the  huge  rollers,  the  surf,  the  im- 
passable reef  and  the  quiet,  blue  ocean,  stretch- 
ing to  the  horizon.  All  this  was  taken  in 
at  a  glance  ;  but  as  her  eye  passed  towards 
the  east,  her  keen  vision  caught  sight  of  a 
canoe,  rounding  the  point  of  Leahi  jutting  into 
the  sea.  Then  more  canoes  came  in  sight. 

The  paddlers  were  urging  their  boats  on- 
ward with  rapid  strokes,  as  if  to  reach  the  one 
opening  through  the  reef,  opposite  Waikiki. 
Were  they  friends  or  foes  ?  She  saw  that  the 
combatants  at  the  royal  house  had  become 
aware  of  the  new-comers.  There  was  a  lull 
in  the  fighting,  as  both  assailants  and  de- 
fenders looked  towards  the  flotilla  in  the 
offing.  They  all  appeared  to  be  in  doubt  as 
to  its  character.  If  a  reinforcement  to  the 
rebels,  the  case  of  Hookama  and  his  band  was 
not  only  desperate  but  hopeless.  If  it  meant 
aid  for  the  defenders,  the  defeat  of  the  rebels 
was  sure. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  movement  on  the 
part  of  the  rebels.  A  score  of  them  rushed 
to  the  fish  pond  on  the  right,  shouting  and 


378  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

plunging  into  the  water.  It  was  a  flank 
movement,  a  final  coup,  either  in  sheer  des- 
peration or  in  confidence  of  a  victory  because 
of  help  near  at  hand. 

Kelea  gazed  steadily  at  the  fleet,  which 
rapidly  skirted  the  reef  in  the  open  sea.  To 
her  great  joy,  she  recognized  the  peculiar 
shaped  canoes  and  the  streamers  of  Maui,  her 
own  island  ;  Kahekili,  the  king  of  Maui,  had 
for  once  kept  his  promise  and  sent  a  hundred 
warriors.  Hope  inspired  the  maiden's  breast  ; 
Hookama  might  yet  be  saved,  if  he  and  his 
band  could  hold  out. 

She  started  to  go  towards  the  scene  of  con- 
flict. Possibly  she.  might  shield  the  young  alii 
in  the  last  deadly  struggle.  She  heard  the 
rebel  warriors  yell,  as  one  after  another  gained 
the  bank  of  the  fish  pond  next  the  royal  en- 
closure. Some  of  the  defenders  were  rushing 
to  meet  them,  leaving  thinned  ranks  behind  the 
barricade. 

But  a  shout  from  the  shore,  raised  by  the 
few  men  in  charge  of  the  rebel  canoes,  came 
clearly  to  her  ears.  They  were  calling  to  their 
comrades  to  flee.  They  had  discovered  that 
the  new  arrival  meant  their  own  destruction. 

The  friendly  fleet,  however,  paddled  very 
slowly,  until  at  length  it  stopped.  Then  it 
turned  back.  Obviously  there  was  some  cause 


SURF-RIDING  A  T  ITS  CULMINA  TION.        yj9 

for  this  doubling  on  its  course.  Kelea,  accus- 
tomed to  watch  the  movements  of  canoes  at 
Waihee,  her  home,  knew  that  the  warriors  in 
the  canoes  were  looking  for  the  passage  through 
the  rolling  breakers.  They  were  evidently  in 
doubt  as  to  the  entrance,  never  before  having 
visited  these  shores. 

Her  joy  was  turned  into  an  agony  of  fear. 
Would  they  be  balked,  just  on  the  eve  of  sav- 
ing Hookama  and  his  men  ?  Must  the  aid,  so 
near,  prove  unavailing?  She  felt  that  some- 
thing must  be  done,  and  done  quickly. 

A  crowd  of  natives,  non-combatants,  old 
men,  women  and  children,  stood  on  one  side 
in  the  plain  towards  the  sea,  looking  on  from 
their  safe  position  at  the  fight  near  the  royal 
house.  It  was  a  chaotic,  distracted  throng,  a 
wailing  multitude,  aimlessly  running  here  and 
there,  or  throwing  themselves  on  the  earth  in 
terror. 

Divesting  herself  of  her  mantle,  Kelea  ran 
swiftly  towards  this  motley  crowd,  and,  speed- 
ing her  way  in  and  out  among  them,  gained  a 
large  space,  unobserved,  on  her  way  towards 
the  canoes  on  the  beach,  and  the  men  who 
guarded  them.  The  natives,  watching  the  con- 
flict, paid  no  attention  to  her.  But  the  men 
with  the  canoes  soon  discerned  her  flying 
figure  coming  towards  them.  At  first  they 


KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


paid  little  heed,  as  she  was  alone  and  only  a 
woman. 

Straight  as  an  arrow,  she  took  her  course 
towards  them.  Though  they  saw  her  as  she 
ran,  they  paid  more  attention  to  the  fleet  and 
the  fight  than  to  her.  Nearer  and  nearer 
came  the  girl,  her  long  hair  flying  in  the  wind. 
She  ran  as  if  her  life  depended  on  her  speed. 
The  men  at  the  beach,  thinking  her  a  mes- 
senger, awaited  her  approach  now  that  her 
object  seemed  to  be  to  communicate  with  them. 
It  was  a  shrewd  manoeuvre  of  Kelea. 

Within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  little  group 
of  warriors,  she  suddenly  wheeled  on  her  course 
and  sped  over  the  sands  towards  the  breakers. 
Before  the  surprised  watchers  divined  her  real 
intention,  or  thought  of  pursuing  her,  she  had 
gained  a  large  space  and  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  rolling  surf.  Even  then,  the  men  were  be- 
wildered and  could  not  believe  that  a  woman 
would  dare  to  breast  the  high,  combing  waves. 
One  started  to  follow  her  but  soon  lost  sight 
of  her  among  the  breakers  ;  saying  "She's  gone 
crazy  ;  let  her  drown  !  "  he  turned  back. 

But  the  girl  swam  on.  Now  her  muscular 
strength  and  skill  in  surf-riding  came  into  full 
play.  With  strokes  that  sent  her  swiftly  for- 
ward and  skilfully  diving  to  avoid  the  force  of 
the  larger,  oncoming  billows,  while  adroitly 


SURF-RIDING  A  T  ITS  CULMlttA  TION.       381 

taking  advantage  of  the  receding  waves,  she 
swam  for  the  inlet,  which  she  had  discovered 
on  the  day  when  she  distanced  all  competitors 
in  the  surf-riding  contest. 

Cool  enough,  even  in  the  excitement  of  the 
struggle,  to  turn  her  head  as  she  rose  to  the 
crest  of  a  high  wave,  she  saw  that  the  contest 
still  raged  at  the  royal  house.  With  renewed 
resolution  on  she  ploughed,  lifting  her  arms 
to  signal  the  war-fleet. 

Fortunately,  the  surf-rider  of  Maui  was  in 
her  element.  Here  was  the  consummate  re- 
sult of  her  life  in  the  surf  on  the  shores  of 
her  native  isle.  The  waiting  fleet  outside  the 
reef  soon  perceived  her  signals  and  steered  in 
the  direction  to  which  she  pointed.  They 
espied  the  entrance  before  she  reached  it,  and 
their  swift  paddles,  shooting  the  canoes,  one 
by  one,  into  the  curving  waves  at  that  point, 
passed  inside  the  dangerous  reef. 

All  eyes  were  on  the  swimmer,  as  she  waited 
in  the  water  resting  her  tired  limbs,  till  the 
first  canoe  came  near.  In  the  stern  of  the 
large  war-canoe  stood  a  tall  chief,  and  when 
Kelea  flung  back  her  hair  from  her  face  and 
looked  up  at  him,  a  cry  escaped  her  as  she 
recognized  her  father! 

Stout  arms  drew  the  girl  into  the  canoe 
where  she  sank  down  at  the  feet  of  the  chief, 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


waving  her  hand  towards  the  shore  and  urg- 
ing on  the  crew. 

There  was  no  time  for  explanations. 

The  stalwart  warrior  looked  grimly  down 
at  his  daughter  as  he  carefully  steered  the 
craft  according  to  her  guidance,  while  the  men, 
recognizing  the  lost  wakine,  their  famous  surf- 
rider  and  princess,  the  pride  of  Waihee,  bent 
to  their  task  with  redoubled  enthusiasm. 

The  rebels,  guarding  the  canoes  on  the 
beach,  fled  into  the  thickets.  The  warriors 
from  Maui,  beaching  their  canoes,  seized  their 
weapons  and,  without  a  moment's  delay, 
rushed  towards  the  scene  of  conflict.  Their 
movements  had  been  seen  by  both  parties  of 
the  combatants,  but  the  assailants  still  hoped 
to  beat  down  the  warriors  who  were  left  be- 
hind the  barricade,  and  so  make  a  better  de- 
fense for  themselves  against  their  new  foes. 

As  for  flight,  they  knew  that  would  be  fatal. 
Whither  should  they  flee  ?  The  open  plain 
afforded  no  shelter,  and  their  canoes  were  in 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Besides,  Hawaiian 
warriors  knew  how  to  die  in  battle  but  not  to 
flee.  Therefore  the  fight  continued  with  re- 
doubled fury  on  both  sides  as  the  allies  from 
Maui  ran  to  join  in  the  fray.  The  issue 
was  no  longer  doubtful.  The  crowd  of 
natives,  non-combatants,  came  nearer  the 


SURF-RIDING  A  T  ITS  CULMINA  TION.       383 

field  of  battle.  Their  shouts  of  cheer  and  en- 
couragement were  borne  on  the  air  to  the  ears 
of  Hookama  and  his  band.  Women  screamed 
in  their  exultation,  and  louder  grew  their 
voices  as  they  saw,  at  the  head  of  the  swiftly 
approaching  column  of  fresh  warriors,  a  woman, 
carrying  in  her  hand  and  waving  a  long  spear 
with  a  blood-red  pennon  streaming  at  its  tip. 

With  hair  dishevelled  and  a  loose  tapa 
mantle,  which  she  had  snatched  from  one  of 
the  canoes,  flying  in  the  wind,  she  led  the  race. 
Her  skirt  was  torn  and  her  shoulders  were 
bare,  but  the  look  of  victorious  resolution  on 
her  face,  as  she  turned  towards  the  warriors 
rushing  after  her  like  an  avalanche,  and  her 
war-cry,  "  In  the  name  of  all  the  gods  !  "  caused 
them  to  leap  forward  with  a  yell. 

The  rebel  band,  reduced  to  half  its  numbers, 
bravely  wheeled  their  outer  ranks  to  their  new 
foes,  while  their  warriors  next  the  wall  still 
fought  those  who  tried  to  leap  over  and  des- 
patch them.  Crushed  was  that  stout-hearted 
phalanx,  as  between  the  upper  and  the  nether 
millstone.  Fighting  to  the  last,  no  quarter 
given  or  received,  they  died  where  they  stood, 
to  the  last  man,  and  their  bodies  lay  piled  as 
high  as  the  barricade  itself,  to  attest  their 
brave  defiance  of  death. 

It  was  a  hard  won  victory  for  the  warriors 


384  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

of  Oahu.  Hookama's  band  had  but  a  score 
remaining  after  the  fight.  Several  were 
drowned  in  the  fish  pond,  in  hand-to-hand 
wrestle  with  the  flanking  party  of  the  rebels. 
When  the  slaughter  was  over  and  the  warriors 
of  Maui  were  attending  to  their  wounded, 
doing  also  what  they  could  to  assist  Hookama 
and  his  exhausted  men,  the  disorderly  crowd, 
women  in  search  of  their  husbands,  old  men 
always  getting  in  the  way  and  eager  for  the 
spoils  of  the  enemy,  swarmed  into  the  field  of 
carnage,  and  indescribable  confusion  was  the 
result. 

Searching  among  the  wild  and  unrestrained 
throngs,  Hookama,  who  had  watched  the 
movements  of  Kelea  in  the  surf  and  as  she  led 
the  column  to  the  attack,  was  suffering  the 
torture  of  anxiety  as  to  her  fate ;  she  was  no- 
where to  be  found.  In  the  excitement  of  the 
last  struggle  he  had  lost  sight  of  her  and  feared 
she  might  have  been  stricken  down. 

At  last,  meeting  Maili,  he  asked,  "  Where  is 
Kelea?"  "Who  is  Kelea?"  called  out  one 
of  the  women,  carrying  a  calabash  of  water  to  a 
wounded  warrior.  "  She  led  the  troop,"  was 
Maili's  hurried  answer  as  he  whispered  to 
Hookama  that  Menehune  had  carried  her  to 
the  royal  house  early  in  the  final  combat. 

Instantly   a   mighty    shout   arose.     It   was 


SURF-RIDING  A  T  ITS  CULMWA  TION.       385 

started  by  the  woman  to  whom  Maili  had 
spoken.  "  Kelea  !  Kelea  !  "  was  roared  and 
shouted  and  screamed  by  hundreds  of  voices,  as 
if  the  excited  multitude  had  found  vent  for  the 
tumult  of  their  agitated  emotions  in  re-echo- 
ing the  words.  "Kelea,  the  Surf-Rider! 
Kelea  the  Conqueror  !  Where  is  she  ?  Crown 
her  ;  she  has  won  the  day !  "  and  the  boister- 
ous people,  rabble,  warriors  and  the  braves 
from  Maui,  all  followed  Menehune,  who 
thought  it  was  a  fine  thing  to  do,  and  led  the 
way  to  the  king's  large  house. 

A  few  moments  earlier,  Hookama  had  dis- 
covered Kelea  lying  on  a  couch,  resting  but 
flushed  with  excitement.  After  she  brought 
her  father  and  his  warriors  into  the  conflict, 
knowing  that  the  result  was  certain  and  that 
she  could  be  of  no  further  use  ;  shrinking  also 
from  the  sight  of  the  slaughter,  which  had 
none  of  the  elements  of  even-handed  warfare 
in  it,  she  found  the  dwarf,  or  he  found  her,  and, 
under  his  protection,  she  entered  the  deserted 
royal  house. 

For  the  first  time,  the  young  alii  knelt  be- 
fore the  maiden  and,  taking  her  hand,  pressed 
it  to  his  forehead.  "  Oh,  Kelea !  I  owe  you 
my  life  :  Brave  girl  !  Glorious — " 

"  Crown  Kelea !  "  came  the  echo  of  the 
shout  from  the  multitude  without.  "  Kelea 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


the  Conqueror ! "  There  was  the  noise  of 
tramping  people.  Hookama  rose  to  his  feet 
and  had  only  time  to  say — "  Yes,  my  Kelea, 
you  have  conquered — you  have  conquered  me" 
when  Menehune  and  the  crowd  burst  into  the 
room,  halting  as  they  saw  the  young  alii 
standing  in  a  dignified  manner  before  the 
young  woman  lying  on  the  mats. 

But  even  his  presence  could  not  repulse 
their  onslaught  or  quiet  their  shouts.  They 
insisted  that  Kelea  should  come  out  and  be 
crowned.  Seeing  that  they  persisted  and  were 
full  of  loyal  enthusiasm,  Hookama  assisted 
Kelea  to  rise  and,  with  her  hand  in  his,  the  two 
walked  through  the  parted  throng  and  stood 
in  the  verandah  in  front  of  the  royal  house. 

Then  as  if  pandemonium  was  let  loose,  the 
whole  space  was  filled  with  a  frantic  multitude. 
They  waved  pennons  and  spears  ;  women 
flung  their  tapa  mantles  in  the  air ;  warriors 
shook  aloft  their  battle-axes  and  javelins. 
Flowers  from  the  king's  garden,  branches  from 
the  palm  trees  and  hastily  woven  wreaths  were 
showered  on  the  couple,  till  they  were  literally 
covered  up  in  the  fragrant  blossoms  and  stood 
knee  deep  in  aromatic  maile  vines.  Shouts  and 
cries  were  lifted  to  the  skies.  Some  cheered 
Kelea,  and  some  Hookama.  Their  names 
were  uttered  in  the  same  breath.  It  was  an 


SURF-RIDING  A  T  ITS  CULMINA  TION.       387 

ovation  in  which  both  shared,  although  the 
name  of  Kelea  aroused  the  most  enthusiasm 
and  elicited  the  loudest  utterances.  Menehune 
was  turning  somersaults  in  front  of  the  crowd. 

"  It  is  a  betrothal  (hoopalaii)"  said  a  wahine 
to  Maili  who  stood  in  the  crowd.  It  was 
Kamili,  to  whom  he  had  given  the  shell.  She 
had  come  in  search  of  him  to  tend  him  if 
wounded,  but  he  had  escaped  with  slight  hurts. 
"  It  looks  like  it,  but  I  think  there  is  another 
ahead  of  this  one,"  he  replied,  with  a  sly  wink 
at  Kamili,  remembering  certain  indications  he 
had  seen  at  the  house  on  the  cliff. 

Menehune  overheard  the  conversation  and 
his  ugly  face  had  a  grin  across  it,  wider  than 
the  gashes  which  gave  him  the  look  of  a  ghoul. 
It  was  a  gleam  of  his  newly  awakened  con- 
sciousness that  enabled  him  to  get  at  the  root 
of  the  matter  as  he  pinched  the  girl's  arm  and 
grunted  in  her  ear,  "  Pu'  Aloha,  one ;  Kelea, 
two."  She  seemed  to  comprehend  his  mean- 
ing and  gave  him  an  answering  smile,  which 
confirmed  his  notion  of  the  final  result. 

There  was  another  spectator  who  took  a 
personal  interest  in  the  scene.  Kelea's  father 
was  standing  with  the  commander  of  one  of 
his  war-canoes,  narrowly  watching  his  daughter 
and  Hookama,  as  they  stood  on  the  verandah, 
the  recipients  of  this  impromptu  ovation.  He 


388  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

saw  a  look  of  intense  happiness  on  her  face 
and  he  thought  the  young  alii  looked  proud 
and  satisfied,  with  the  handsome  girl  leaning 
on  his  arm.  He  also  noticed  that  they  ex- 
changed glances,  which  he  interpreted  as  an 
experienced  father  naturally  would  do. 

"  A  fine  pair,  alii-nui\  "  said  the  warrior  at 
his  side.  "  I  saw  that  young  chief  come  near 
capturing  the  giant  warrior  of  Hawaii,  and  he 
would  have  done  it,  if  the  Lonely  One  had 
not  swooped  down  to  the  rescue.  I  have 
heard  him  called  Bird-Catcher ;  perhaps  he 
has  snared  the  sea-bird  already,  eh  ?  " 

The  chief  made  no  reply,  but  in  his  heart  he 
had  already  chosen  the  handsome  youth  for 
his  daughter,  if  the  gods  so  willed. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

ALOHA ! 

KELEA  returned,  under  Menehune's  escort, 
to  the  house  on  the  cliff,  after  an  interview 
with  her  father,  the  chief  of  Waihee.  He 
asked  her  to  go  back  to  Maui  with  him,  but  as 
she  begged  to  remain,  that  she  might  nurse  a 
dear  friend  who  had  been  kind  to  her  in  her 
exile,  he  finally  consented.  He  exacted  a 
promise  from  Hookama  that  Kelea  should  re- 
turn to  Waihee  when  he  sent  for  her,  after  the 
recovery  of  her  friend.  The  young  alii  gave 
the  pledge  with  some  reluctance,  but  finally 
concluded  that  her  father's  will  was  law,  ac- 
cording to  custom,  and  that  he  could  not 
refuse. 

The  king  of  Oahu  soon  after  returned  from 
his  victorious  expedition  against  the  rebels  be- 
yond the  Pali  and  was  prodigal  in  his  praises 
of  Kelea's  courage.  His  return  relieved 


390  KELEA:  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

Hookama  from  duty  at  the  royal  house  and 
enabled  him  to  retire  at  once  to  the  house  on 
the  cliff  to  recuperate  his  strength. 

After  receiving  many  hospitalities  the  chief 
of  Waihee  and  his  warriors,  none  of  whom 
were  slain  in  the  battle  with  the  rebels,  set  sail 
amid  the  shouts  of  the  crowd  assembled  on 
the  shore.  His  war-canoes  were  decorated 
with  flowers  and  his  men  richly  rewarded  by 
the  king  for  their  services. 

There  was  one  thing  that  disturbed  the 
mind  of  the  chief  of  Waihee.  He  learned, 
just  before  he  embarked,  that  Hookama  had 
intimate  relations  with  another  woman,  who 
was  the  "  friend  "  whom  Kelea  wished  to  stay 
and  nurse.  This  complicated  matters,  but  it 
was  too  late  to  change  the  plan,  and  the  king 
assured  him  that  he  himself  would  answer  for 
his  daughter's  safety  and  welfare. 

When  Kelea  returned  to  the  cliff  she  found 
Pu'  Aloha  so  ill  and  weak  that  all  her  sympa- 
thies were  aroused  and  she  gave  little  heed  to 
her  resolution  not  to  witness  the  marital  happi- 
ness of  the  newly  wedded  pair.  Indeed,  in 
Hookama's  heart  there  was  so  much  anxiety 
that  he  was  glad  to  have  Kelea  near  to  nurse 
his  bride.  He  forgot  everything  but  the  use 
of  means  for  the  recovery  of  the  invalid. 

For  weeks  Pu'  Aloha  made  no  progress  to- 


ALOHA !  391 


wards  recovery.  The  shock  to  her  nerves  had 
utterly  prostrated  her.  The  good  "  mother  " 
was  an  adept  in  simple  remedies.  Menehune, 
full  of  sympathetic  feeling,  which  he  expressed 
in  his  peculiar  style,  gathered  roots  and  herbs 
from  the  woods  and  streams.  Kelea  applied 
ointments  and  lotions.  Hookama  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  Kehunas,  and  in  this  he 
was  seconded  by  Kelea. 

There  were  days  of  hope,  and  days  that  were 
hopeless  ;  days,  when  the  beauty  of  the  sick 
girl's  face  was  like  that  of  a  thin  alabaster  vase, 
with  the  light  shining  from  within.  Her  blue 
veins  showed  through  her  fair  skin  and  the 
hectic  color  went  and  came.  Her  slender 
figure  gradually  lost  its  graceful  curves.  The 
hands,  folded  across  the  soft,  white  tapa,  be- 
came thin  and  nerveless.  Hookama  suspended 
a  netting,  like  a  hammock,  under  the  shade  of 
the  overhanging  cliff,  where  the  cool,  upland 
breezes  swayed  the  vines  drooping  from  the 
rocks.  It  was  a  spot  from  which  the  shadows 
of  the  clouds,  chasing  each  other  over  the 
mountain  slopes,  made  the  landscape  a  picture 
of  beauty,  and  the  sunsets,  seen  over  the  sea, 
were  a  dream  of  color  in  a  mist  of  gold. 

On  the  lovely  afternoon  of  a  day  that  had 
greatly  encouraged  the  hope  of  Pu'  Aloha's 
ultimate  restoration  to  health,  Hookama  was 


392  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

at  the  side  of  the  hammock  gently  swinging  its 
occupant,  whose  spirits  were  unusually  buoy- 
ant. Kelea  had  gone  away  with  Menehune 
for  flowers  and  fruit. 

The  conversation  turned  on  the  absent  girl, 
who  had  been  treated  by  them  both,  since  the 
battle  at  the  royal  house,  as  one  to  whom  they 
owed  the  deepest  gratitude  and  for  whom  they 
felt  the  sincerest  regard.  Pu'  Aloha,  with  a 
tranquil  and  winning  expression,  had  been  re- 
hearsing the  story  of  their  mutual  affection, 
when  she  suddenly  looked  into  Hookama's 
face  and,  in  a  tone  of  the  most  artless  simplic- 
ity, placing  her  thin,  white  hand  on  his,  ex- 
claimed : — 

"  My  dearest !  I  believe  Kelea  loves  you. 
She  has  never  breathed  such  a  thing  to  me,  but 
love's  eyes  you  know  are  keen.  Dear  !  Hasn't 
she  proved  herself  worthy  of  the  best  we  can 
give?  Couldn't  you  love  her,  and  keep  on 
loving  me  a  little  the  best?  " 

This  unexpected  question,  impossible  under 
conditions  of  a  less  primitive  social  code,  was  a 
startling  one  to  Hookama,  but  it  was  as  natural 
to  the  innocent  maiden  as  if  she  had  said  to 
her  husband,  "  Which  do  you  love  best,  your 
mother  or  me  ?  " 

There  was  no  hesitation  in  her  voice  and  no 
diffidence  in  her  manner.  She  was  a  child  of 


ALOHA  I  393 


nature,  untrammelled  by  conventional  ideas, 
knowing  nothing  of  the  law  which  makes  one 
woman  the  complement  of  one  man.  She  was 
not  even  swayed  by  what  may  be  called  the 
instinct  of  union  between  two  alone,  in  the 
heart's  holiest  bonds.  Filled  with  unselfish 
trust  and  love  towards  Hookama  and  Kelea ; 
trust  in  him  as  the  noblest  man  and  love  for 
her  as  the  dearest  woman  on  the  earth,  she 
spoke  from  her  inmost  heart  and  really  longed 
for  an  affirmative  reply. 

Turning  on  her  a  look  of  the  fondest  devo- 
tion, Hookama  answered  : — 

"  Do  you  mean,,  my  beloved,  that  I  might 
love  Kelea  in  the  way  I  love  you  ?  Are  you 
not  my  only  love-queen,  my  sweetest  flower 
of  love  ?  Can  any  other  be  to  me  what  you 
are  ?  Will  the  pua-aloha  yield  its  place  as  best 
of  all  the  flowers  in  Hookama's  garden  ?  You 
cannot  mean  it,"  and  he  folded  his  bride  to 
his  breast  with  caresses  which  revealed  to  her 
that  no  other  could  possibly  be  to  him  what 
she  was,  no  matter  what  relations  he  might 
sustain  to  another  as  a  true  friend,  or  in  that 
still  more  intimate  connection  which  the  cus- 
tom of  his  people  allowed  and  indeed  often 
made  obligatory  upon  high  chiefs. 

Hookama's  words  not  only  disclosed  to 
Pu*  Aloha  the  depth  of  his  affection  for  her, 


394  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

(and  her  heart  beat  faster  as  she  realized  that 
she  was  his  only  love),  but  they  also  taught  her 
that  no  two  women  could  possibly  be  equally 
beloved  by  one  man,  however  noble  and 
generous  his  nature. 

Hookama  knew  too  well  Kelea's  nature  to 
think  for  a  moment  that  she  would  consent  to 
share  his  love  with  another,  or  be  the  second 
in  his  affections.  She  was  more  than  ever  a 
mystery  to  him.  That  she  loved  him  with  un- 
changing ardor  was  certain.  Although  a  sav- 
age, he  had  already  begun  to  comprehend 
how  her  first  passion  had  become  chastened 
and  ennobled.  Her  robust  beauty  appealed 
to  his  admiration  and  he  felt  its  captivating 
power.  Her  devotion  to  him  and  her  will- 
ingness to  give  her  life  for  him,  he  understood  ; 
but  why  she  clung  to  the  idea  that  he  might 
give  her  the  love  which  was  centered  wholly 
on  Pu'  Aloha  he  could  not  conceive. 

Did  she  think  that  at  some  distant  day,  he 
would  love  them  both  alike  ?  Was  she  under 
the  delusion  that  by  and  by  something  might 
happen  to  transform  him  into  a  different  being, 
so  that  he  could  satisfy  her  heart  and  still  be 
true  to  his  first  love?  He  repudiated,  as  un- 
worthy of  the  least  consideration,  the  idea 
that  possibly  she  hoped  he  would  weary 
of  the  sweet  child  and  turn  to  her  for  a  more 


ALOHA  t  395 


satisfying  affection.  He  could  give  her  mar- 
ital rights,  for  all  chiefs  had  as  many  wives  as 
they  could  support,  but  he  knew  this  was 
not  now  her  desire. 

The  horrible  thought  was  suggested  to  him 
by  some  evil  spirit,  that  Kelea  might  hope  to 
come  nearer  to  him  if  Pu'  Aloha  should  die  ; 
but  this  infernal  suggestion  was  chased  away 
instantly,  as  he  remembered  her  profound  love 
for  his  dear  one  and  her  unselfish  conduct  arrd 
tender  care  of  her  from  the  time  she  first 
knew  and  loved  his  "  Flower." 

It  was  all  an  enigma  to  him.  He  would  let 
things  go  on.  The  gods  (if  there  were  gods), 
must  straighten  it  all  out.  It  was  too  much 
for  him. 

But  Pu'  Aloha's  question  and  his  answer 
brought  one  good  result.  It  put  out  of  Pu' 
Aloha's  mind  forever  the  thought  of  sharing 
with  Kelea  the  heart  of  her  husband.  She  saw 
how  impossible  a  thing  it  was,  and  it  made 
her  more  tender  than  ever  towards  her  friend. 
She  pitied  her,  and  the  affection  she  had  felt 
before  deepened  into  a  yearning  towards  her, 
a  desire  to  comfort  her,  which  showed  itself  in 
most  endearing  forms. 

As  the  weeks  passed,  Kelea  was  so  com- 
pletely wrapped  about  by  the  charmed  atmos- 
phere of  Pu'  Aloha's  loving  devotion  that  her 


396  KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

thoughts  centered  more  and  more  upon  the 
lovely  invalid.  She  was  pleased  with  Hook- 
ama's  courteous  attentions,  but  she  almost 
idolized  the  beloved  friend,  whose  love  satisfied 
her  soul. 

Hookama  made  every  effort  to  cheer  and 
encourage  his  bride  with  anticipations  of  bright 
joys  to  come  when  her  health  should  return. 
He  related  to  her  and  Kelea  his  adventures  ; 
he  told  of  his  experiences  at  the  volcano  and, 
in  rather  a  jesting  manner,  of  his  challenge  to 
Pele  and  the  remarkable  coincidence  of  the 
collapse  of  the  lake  of  fire. 

This  incident  made  a  deep  impression  upon 
Pu'  Aloha  and  secretly  she  brooded  over  it, 
till  at  last,  made  more  superstitious  because  of 
her  physical  condition,  she  felt  a  morbid  dread 
of  Pele's  wrath.  She  remembered  the  legend 
in  which  vengeance  was  meted  out  by  the  en- 
raged goddess  to  Kahawari,  a  chief  who  in- 
sulted her  and  whom  she  followed  in  a  river 
of  burning  lava.  Earthquakes  and  fiery 
phenomena  were  the  visible  evidences  of  her 
malignant  spirit.  It  was  the  common  belief 
that  only  by  the  sacrifice  of  human  life  could 
her  anger  ever  be  appeased. 

The  sweet  maiden's  spirits  became  more 
and  more  depressed  and,  after  Hookama's 
persistent  inquiries,  she  at  last  confessed  the 


ALOHA  I  397 


cause.  "  O,  dearest !  Pele  must  have  a  vic- 
tim. She  will  follow  thee  till  she  is  avenged. 
Her  wrath  will  surely  fall  on  thee  or  on  one 
thou  dost  love.  Either  thou  or  I  must  be  a 
sacrifice.  Willingly  give  I  my  life  for  thine,  if 
it  will  save  thee."  Hookama  tried  every  ex- 
pedient to  rid  her  of  the  terrible  idea.  He 
laughed  at  her  fears,  and  finding  this  of  no 
avail  showed  her  the  impossibility  of  Pele's 
vengeance  reaching  from  her  far-off  domain  on 
Hawaii  to  Oahu. 

In  spite  of  all  he  could  say  or  do,  his  lovely 
flower  drooped,  and,  like  one  whom  the  priests 
"  prayed  to  death,"  it  seemed  as  if  nothing 
would  remove  from  her  mind  the  fatal  pre- 
sentiment which  possessed  her.  One  afternoon 
the  atmosphere  suddenly  became  oppressive  ; 
clouds  gathered  and  assumed  a  lurid  hue  ;  the 
little  group  on  the  cliff  perceived  a  slight 
tremor  of  the  earth  ;  a  more  vibratory  shock 
of  earthquaking  followed,  such  as  Oahu  some- 
times felt  when  violent  explosions  were  occur- 
ring at  the  volcano  on  Hawaii.  Hookama  was 
standing  apart  from  the  women,  when,  out  of 
a  cloud-burst,  came  a  bolt  of  lightning,  striking 
and  detaching  a  mass  of  rock  above  him  which 
nearly  caught  him  as  it  hurtled  with  a  loud 
crash  into  the  ravine  below. 

"  A  warning  from  Pele  !  "  cried  the  shrinking 


KELEA  :  THE  SURF-RIDER. 


girl,  and  she  buried  her  face  in  her  palms, 
shedding  copious  tears.  Kelea  threw  her  arms 
about  her  and  supported  her  into  the  house. 
Hookama  followed,  wearing  a  look  of  weary 
hopelessness.  Neither  he  nor  Kelea  could 
rally  the  affrighted  girl  from  her  despondent 
mood.  She  only  moaned  and  whispered :  "  I 
am  willing.  O  Pele !  take  me  as  the  offering 
and  spare  my  beloved  !  " 

It  was,  however,  soon  perceived  by  the  two 
watchers  that  Pu'  Aloha's  hold  on  life  was  be- 
coming more  and  more  feeble.  Her  smile  was 
as  sweet  and  her  words  as  gentle  as  ever,  but 
she  smiled  most  sweetly  when  she  said,  "  My 
time  to  sleep  is  coming  soon,"  and  after  that 
she  smiled  and  spoke  less  often.  Even  the 
fragrant  wild  flowers  which  she  loved  failed  to 
receive  from  her  more  than  a  passing  glance. 

At  last  there  came  a  day,  when  balmy  odors 
were  wafted  in  from  the  vines  clambering  about 
the  house  and  beginning  to  put  forth  fresh 
blossoms.  A  magic  light  was  upon  the  distant 
peaks.  The  clouds  floated  almost  motionless 
in  the  sky  and  the  air  was  so  still  that  one 
could  hear  the  breakers  on  the  far-off  shore. 

Pu'  Aloha  was  evidently  sinking.  Hookama 
hung  over  the  form  of  his  beloved  as  if  it  held 
a  spirit  from  the  land  of  dreams.  Kelea's  arms 
were  about  the  fragile  creature ;  she  raised 


ALOHA  !  399 


her  a  little  from  the  couch  that  she  might  take 
one  more  look  at  the  sky  and  the  hills.  The 
blind  "  mother  "  stood  by,  and  Menehune  was 
leaning  against  the  thatched  wall ;  his  heart  was 
learning  the  meaning  of  true  love  in  death. 

Here,  surrounded  by  all  the  rank  growths  of 
centuries  of  paganism,  the  Flower  of  Love 
exhaled  its  sweetest  fragrance  in  dying,  as  if 
its  roots  had  been  nourished  in  another,  more 
congenial  soil. 

The  perfect  day  was  drawing  to  its  close. 
The  twilight  shadows  crept  along  the  land- 
scape as  the  setting  sun  diffused  its  last,  roseate 
hue  over  the  sky.  A  slight  movement  of  Pu' 
Aloha's  lips  suggested  a  desire  on  the  part  of 
the  dying  girl  to  speak.  Kelea  drew  her  close 
to  her  heart.  With  his  hand,  Hookama  gently 
smoothed  her  forehead,  around  which  still 
clustered  the  luxuriant  locks.  His  sturdy 
frame  shook  with  irrepressible  emotion. 

Something  like  a  prayer  (to  whom  he  knew 
not)  came  to  his  mind.  It  was  a  wish  for  one 
more  word  from  his  beloved,  to  interpret  the 
wistful  look  on  the  sweet  face  and  the  tender 
meaning  in  her  eyes. 

The  prayer  was  granted.  As  if  the  memory 
of  all  the  joyous  days  with  those  dearest  to  her 
gave  her  a  momentary  strength,  Pu'  Aloha 
took  the  hand  that  rested  on  her  forehead  and 


400  KELEA  ;  THE  SURF-RIDER. 

placed  it  on  the  hand  of  Kelea  who  was  sup- 
porting her.  From  the  half-closed  lips  came 
whispers,  inaudible  save  to  the  two  for  whom 
they  were  uttered — faint,  feeble  sounds — but 
articulate  enough  to  reveal  the  last  unselfish 
wish  of  the  sweet  Flower  of  Love :  — 

"  My  own — dearest — will  of  the  gods." 
Then,  turning  an  almost  seraphic  look  upon 
Hookama  and  Kelea,  her  pure  spirit  took  its 
flight,  as  she  murmured  : — 

"  Betrothed— Aloha  !  " 

THE  END. 


AUTHOR'S  NOTE. 

WE  introduce  our  readers  to  the  Hawaiian  savage  at 
his  best.  The  coarser  side  of  him  is  only  hinted  at  ; 
it  would  not  be  pleasant  reading.  Life  was  not  wholly 
idyllic  in  pagan  Hawaii  during  the  latter  part  of  the  last 
century. 

The  Hawaiians  were  higher  in  the  scale  than  most  of 
the  other  Polynesians.  Their  chiefs  as  a  class  were  far 
above  the  common  natives.  They  seemed  to  belong  to 
a  superior  race.  Some  of  the  chiefs — both  men  and 
women — were  remarkable,  if  not  for  what  civilization  calls 
virtue,  at  least  for  virtue  in  the  classic  sense  of  valor. 
They  were  chivalrous  in  their  fashion,  and  showed  up 
well  in  some  of  the  kindly  as  well  as  in  warlike  traits. 

One  of  the  characters  mentioned  in  this  story  became  a 
regenerating  force  in  Christianizing  her  people,  before 
she  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  ;  and  one  of  this  Queen 
Regent's  consorts,  the  king  of  Kauai,  is  spoken  of  by  a 
United  States  army  chaplain  as  one  of  whom  "  he 
never  knew  a  word  or  action  unbecoming  a  prince."  As 
for  skepticism  concerning  the  gods,  the  High  Priest 
of  Hawaii,  introduced  into  this  story,  was  the  first  to 
apply  the  torch  to  the  temples,  it  is  said  from  conviction, 
before  the  missionaries  landed  in  1820. 


402  AUTHOR'S  NOTE. 

Poetry  and  a  regard  for  beauty  in  nature,  some  say, 
are  not  found  among  savages.  But  the  meles  or 
legendary  chants  which  the  Hawaiian  bards  recited  have 
both  these  elements.  As  an  example,  the  Lament  of 
Lo-lale,  in  the  original  legend  of  Kelea,  of  which 
only  a  fragment  remains,  is  full  of  poetic  pathos,  and 
Nature  is  invoked  to  grieve  with  the  royal  husband  over 
the  loss  of  his  wayward  bride. 

The  idioms  of  the  conversations  in  the  romance  are  nec- 
essarily more  English  than  Hawaiian,  but  the  similes  are 
caught  from  authentic  Hawaiian  sources.  All  the  setting 
of  the  story, — customs,  characteristics,  battles,  politics, 
kings,  warriors,— is  historic  or  traditional,  from  the 
best  authorities.  It  must  be  added,  that  one  exceptional 
character,  Pu'  Aloha  (The  Flower  of  Love),  is  pre- 
sented by  way  of  contrast,  and  exerts  a  refining  influence 
impossible  in  wholly  pagan  life. 

The  illustrations  are  of  localities  in  the  story,  more 
interesting  than  imaginary  pictures  of  the  actors  in  their 
various  "  situations." 

The  author  is  greatly  indebted,  for  kindly  revision  and 
valuable  suggestions,  to  the  Hon.  G.  D.  Gilman,  Ex- 
Hawaiian  Consul  General  at  Boston,  whose  early  and 
long  residence  in  the  islands  constitutes  him  an  authority. 

NEWTON,  MASS,  19x0. 


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